Method and system for processing glacial water

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems for recovering, processing, containing, and transporting water obtained from an ice source, i.e., a glacier, ice sheet, ice cap, etc., are described herein. The ice obtained from the ice source holds unique properties and is processed as a beverage for consumption having unique properties. Further, the resulting product is produced and transported with minimal human alteration and reduced energy input as compared to conventional methods for packaging water.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a national stage application under 35 U.S.C. 371 ofPCT Application No. PCT/US2010/052864 having an international filingdate of 15 Oct. 2010, which designated the United States, which PCTapplication claimed the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/251,912 filed 15 Oct. 2009; U.S. Provisional Application No.61/303,519 filed 11 Feb. 2010; and U.S. Provisional Application No.61/378,811 filed 31 Aug. 2010, the entire disclosure of each of which isincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a method and system forobtaining, preparing, transporting, and/or trading water. Morespecifically, it relates to the procurement of glacial ice and glacialmelt-waters, to provide clean, valuable, and potable water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Water is the most abundant compound in the human body, making up from50% to 80% of the human body. Thus, water is essential for life. Withoutwater, a person will die of dehydration within a few days. Thus, cleandrinking water is a valuable commodity. Moreover, as the world'spopulation has grown from about 2.5 billion in the early 20^(th) centuryto around 7 billion today (U.S. Census Bureau, International Database),sources of clean drinking water have become even more valuable. As theworld's population continues to grow, the need for water will onlyincrease. Thus, water has been called the new oil, a resource longsquandered, increasingly in demand and hence more expensive, and soon tobe overwhelmed by unquenchable demand.

While a little more than 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by water,much of it is undrinkable (The Hydrologic Cycle, United StatesGeological Survey Pamphlet, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1984). Infact, 97% of all water on the planet is found in the oceans and has asalt content of greater than 30,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L) (Gleick,P.H. (2000), The World's Water 2000-2001, the biennial report onfreshwater resources, Island Press, Washington, D.C., USA.). Techniques,such as reverse-osmosis, do exist for removing salt and other mineralsfrom sea water (desalination) rendering it drinkable. However, suchtechniques are complicated, producing large volumes of waste water pervolume of drinkable water, and in addition, are energy-intensive andexpensive. Indeed, one study concluded that you would need to lift waterby 2000 m, or transport it over more than 1600 km (approximately 1000miles) to get transport costs equal to the desalination costs (Zhou, Y.,Tol, R.S.J., Evaluating the costs of desalination and water, (Workingpaper), December, 2004.) Thus for much of the world, the seas are not aviable option for obtaining water.

Of the about 3% of water that is not salty, about 2% is frozen at thepoles or in glaciers, leaving about 1% of the water on the Earthavailable for use (Gleick, P. H., 1996: Water resources. In Encyclopediaof Climate and Weather, ed. by S. H. Schneider, Oxford University Press,New York, vol. 2, pp. 817-823). This water is divided amongstunderground aquifers, lakes, rivers, reservoirs and or course, rain.While these are useful sources of water, overuse and political aims haveled to aquifers falling, reservoirs drying up and rivers no longerflowing to the sea. In fact, some have predicted that wars will soon befought over access to water, just as wars over oil played a major rolein 20^(th) century history (Solomon, Steven, Water: The Epic Strugglefor Wealth, Power and Civilization, New York, HarperCollins Publishers,2010). Moreover, climate change threatens to make these problems worse.

In addition to the increasing need for sources of fresh drinking water,with increasing interest in healthier lifestyles has come increasingconsumer demand for pure drinking water. This is evidenced by the growthin the bottled water business. Thirty years ago, the bottled waterindustry barely existed. In 2007, Americans spent approximately $16billion on bottled water (Fast Company, Issue 117, July, 2007), andindustry sales are growing at about 8% annually (King, Mike, BottledWater-Global Industry Guide- New Research Report on Companies andMarkets, July, 2008). Additionally, over the last decade, specialtywaters, such as vitamin water, were one of the fastest growing healthtends. Clearly then, consumers are willing to pay for water havingunique, desirable characteristics.

As previously noted, approximately 70% of the planets fresh water isfrozen in ice caps or glaciers. Thus these ice caps and glaciersrepresent a potential source of fresh water. Furthermore, because of theprocess by which ice caps and glaciers form, and because of their age,water stored in ice caps and glaciers was frozen in place so long agothat it has unique properties not present in surface water. Inland iceand glaciers are formed by yearly snowfall. Snowfall accumulates andcompresses in ice shelves over the course of many years to depthsreaching over 4,000 meters in some areas. As the ice layers arecompressed, and in the course of thousands of years, the ice movestowards ice rims and glaciers or other terminal points of the iceshelves. Glacial ice advances then retreats from year to year dependingupon the climate around the glacier and typical snow accumulation.Glacier movements and shape shifting occur over very long periods oftime (i.e., hundreds to thousands of years), but within historic memory,such transformations in fewer than 100 years are not known. Thus, thesefrozen bodies of water have existed, as mentioned above, for thousandsupon thousands of years. In the case of the Antarctic ice sheet, it hasan age of over 40 million years.

The use of inland ice as a source of a drinking water resource has beenappreciated for years and, in fact, there are several companies thatsell water as originating from glaciers. However, known methods havebeen disadvantageous, because some of the natural purity of the ice hasbeen lost in the preparation of the ice as drinking water, after ice hasbeen taken out from its natural occurrence, such as an iceberg. It hasbeen necessary to melt the ice and then bottle or pack the water incontainers permitting transport and distribution of the water toconsumers.

In addition to being sources of fresh water, ice caps and glaciers haveheretofore unappreciated characteristics. Because such ice was formedfar away in time and geography from modern day pollutants, it isextremely pure with regard to such pollutants. Additionally, becausemethods exist for obtaining and dating ice from various depths, it ispossible to obtain water from a specific time period. Consumers mayreadily appreciate being able to obtain water in the form it existed atthe time of Shakespeare, King Arthur, or Jesus, for example.

Other unappreciated advantages can be obtained as well. For example, inrecent years, groundbreaking research has yielded evidence of theexistence of extraterrestrial components within terrestrial ice,theorized to have been deposited by amino acid-bearing comets thatcollided with Earth approximately four billion years ago. In 2004, acollection of high speed dust samples taken from the comet Wild-2 by theNASA Stardust probe revealed the existence of glycine, a basic componentof proteins, within the comet. The existence of these components in theWild-2 comet provides much of the basis for the theory that the buildingblocks for life on Earth were delivered by meteorite and comet impacts.These components have also been found on Earth, preserved in glacial icein a similar manner as to how they are preserved in frozen comets. It isknown that amino acids are crucial elements of life as they form thebasis of proteins, which are linear chains of amino acids. Accordingly,credible evidence exists to state a theory that the early origins oflife on Earth are present in current polar and non-polar ice sheets.

While the use of inland ice as a source of water has been proposed,current systems for obtaining and distributing water fail to providesuch water in its purest form. Moreover, current distribution systemsare not on-demand. That is, the water is first bottled at a source,usually a bottling plant, after which it is shipped to warehouses andthen on to the point of final sale. Thus, volumes of water are shippedbased on estimates of sales with the result that too much, or toolittle, water might be shipped. Thus water may sit for long periods oftime prior to consumption, leading to leaching of container componentsand off tastes. Moreover, all of the water supplied at the bottlingplant is the same, meaning that the customer has no ability to obtainwater having a desired, special characteristic. Thus, currently thereare no methods of obtaining and distributing inland ice water in itspure form. Moreover, no method currently exists for economicallyobtaining distributing inland ice water in an on-demand fashion, basedon need and desirability of specific characteristics. The presentinvention solves these heretofore unmet needs.

Currently, many methods exist for the purification and desalination ofwater in order to produce potable and commercially appealing drinkingproducts, such as reverse-osmosis. Many of these processes suffer fromthe drawbacks of high production costs, resulting carbon emissions fromthe facilities in which they take place, and a significant level ofwaste water per volume of resulting potable water. As the demand forclean water increases, these methods have also been criticized for thestrain they put on natural aquifers. In coastal regions with groundwateraquifers underlain by saline layers, concerns of saltwater encroachmentexist where the over-burdening of freshwater aquifers creates a pressuredifferential that allows heavy concentrations of salt water toinfiltrate the drinking supply.

Purification and desalination of water to remove undesired contents suchas harmful bacteria and heavy metals, typically is an energy-intensiveprocess. In addition to the raw energy consumption required to produceclean water, it is estimated that at least twice the amount water isused in the production process than is actually bottled. In other words,one liter of bottled water represents three liters of water consumed. Ithas also been estimated that tens of millions of barrels of oil wererequired to generate the energy needed to produce the volume of bottledwater consumed in the United States in 2007.

In addition to the numerous environmental concerns surrounding thecurrent methods of procuring potable water, various health concerns arepresent as well. Concerns over undesirable foreign contents in municipalwater supplies have forced many consumers to balance the aforementionedenvironmental risks with the perhaps more personal and immediateconcerns posed by these health risks. Contaminants such as heavy metals,including transition metals, metalloids, lanthanoids, and actinides(e.g. Mercury, Lead, Chromium, etc.), PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls),and pesticides frequently occur in water supplies of even advancedregions. The primary causes of these contamination concerns, aging waterdistribution infrastructure and pollution, are significant public worksconcerns that will require significant time and cost to update andrepair.

Many water sources are tainted as a result of their latitudes andrelative proximity to industrialized nation's carbon emissions, e.g.mercury from coal and petroleum fired power plants. Accordingly, in apreferred embodiment of the present invention, the selected water sourceis located in a region that is generally unaffected by pollution fromindustrialized nations. Glacial ice situated in regions between 15 and60 degrees south latitude, such as Chilean glaciers, provides desirablesources of ice and water for use in the present invention. Additionally,many natural sources of water contain harmful microorganisms, such asGuardia, which often require energy intensive methods such as boiling orthe addition of otherwise undesirable substances such as chlorine toeliminate. These concerns are prevalent even in relatively unpollutedareas as such microorganisms frequently enter the water supply from awide range of their mammalian hosts. Giardia in particular, which isestimated to infect over 2.5 million people annually, typically resultsin severe gastrointestinal symptoms causing weight loss, malaise, andfatigue.

In recent years, groundbreaking research has yielded evidence of theexistence of microorganisms within terrestrial ice. These microorganismsare theorized to have originated with amino acid-bearing comets thatcollided with Earth approximately four billion years ago and may haveassembled into early proteins and DNA. In 2004, a collection of highspeed dust samples taken from the comet Wild-2 by the NASA Stardustprobe revealed the existence of glycine, a basic component of proteins,within the comet. The existence of these components in the Wild-2 cometprovides much of the basis for the theory that the building blocks forlife on Earth were delivered by meteorite and comet impacts. Thesecomponents have also been found on Earth, preserved in glacial ice in asimilar manner as to how they are preserved in frozen comets. It isknown that amino acids are crucial elements of life as they form thebasis of proteins, which are linear chains of amino acids. Accordingly,credible evidence exists to state a theory that the early origins oflife on Earth are present in current polar and non-polar ice sheets.

While the details of the potential health benefits of these amino acidshave yet to be evaluated, there exists a viable market for unadulterateddrinking water which could reasonably be calculated to contain glycineand primordial building blocks of life. In addition to the commerciallyappealing aspects of consuming the origins of life itself, glycine isknown to produce a sweet taste for humans.

As the world's population continues to increase, so does the demand forfresh water that is safe for consumption and the like. Despite manyadvances in water purification technology, many areas of the world arecurrently affected and will continue to be affected by a lack of thisfundamental natural resource. Currently, many methods, such asreverse-osmosis, exist for the purification and desalination of water inorder to produce potable and commercially appealing drinking products.Many of these processes suffer from the drawbacks of high productioncosts, resulting carbon emissions from the facilities in which they takeplace, and a significant level of waste water per volume of resultingpotable water. As the demand for clean water increases, some methodshave also been criticized for the strain they put on natural aquifers.In coastal regions with groundwater aquifers underlain by saline layers,concerns of saltwater encroachment exist where the over-burdening offreshwater aquifers creates a pressure differential that allows heavyconcentrations of salt water to infiltrate the drinking supply.

Indeed, many areas in need of a reliable water supply do not have theavailability of the resource itself to even reap the benefits ofpurification technologies. At the same time, however, a few specificregions of the Earth have abundant supplies of fresh, clean, and safewater which offer the potential to alleviate demands for water byutilizing the appropriate means for conveyance.

Devices and methods for transporting large volumes of water to distantregions of the Earth have proved costly and inefficient. For example,filtration, purification, and bottling of water for transportation andconsumption have become a subject of scrutiny in recent years. Inaddition to the raw energy consumption required to produce clean water,it is estimated that at least twice the amount water is used in theproduction process than is actually bottled. In other words, one literof bottled water may represent as much as three liters of waterconsumed. It has also been estimated that tens of millions of barrels ofoil were required to generate the energy needed to produce the volume ofbottled water consumed in the United States in 2007. Furthermore, theproduction and transportation costs of these methods are proving to bemore and more taxing upon our planet's already strained naturalresources.

Recent research has also revealed that one common method fortransporting water and drinking liquids, containment via plasticbottles, poses a variety of health and environmental risks. It isestimated that approximately 70 million plastic bottles of water areconsumed daily in the United States alone. In addition to the obviousstrain that this puts on landfills and natural resources, many of thesebottles may also contain Bisphenol (“BPA”) which may pose health risksto humans. Even bottles that do not contain BPA pose the risk ofleaching other chemicals into the contained water or fluid. Whilebottled water is not without its benefits, it is often desirable toreduce the amount of bottles used or the duration which water or liquidis stored in the bottles.

Accordingly, a long felt but unsolved need exists for a method andsystem that can be economically employed to contain and convey pure andsafe drinking water from various regions of the Earth to those having aneed or demand for the same. Additionally, a long felt but unsolved needexists for a method and system that can be economically employed toprocure waters having some of the above reference positive attributeswithout including undesired components. A long felt and unmet needfurther exists with respect to systems and methods for economicallyconveying, transporting, trading and/or selling rights and title to theworld's fresh waters.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other needs are addressed by the various embodiments andconfigurations of the present invention.

Applicant hereby incorporates by reference in its entirety U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/551,125 to Szydlowski, filed on Oct. 19, 2006.

It is an object of the present invention to obtain water from naturallyoccurring sources, where it is naturally filtered by its desirablegeographic and topographic surroundings, and ensure purification of thewater without pasteurizing, filtering, sanitizing, or otherwiseeliminating certain commercially viable contents. In one particularembodiment, glacial water is procured and directed through a conduitsystem that comprises one or more sections having native Chilean earthcomponents thereto.

It is a further object of the present invention to utilize only natural,non-biological, non-chemical additives to the filtration process ofwater. In one specific embodiment, filters comprised of natural andnative soils are constructed to obtain the appropriate level of puritywithout adding content to the water or using biological processes. Inone embodiment, the natural filtration process of water flowing in,around, or through desirable soils is selectively repeated by divertingnatural flow through additional natural or man-made filters at lowerelevations. In another embodiment, the natural filtration processes maybe aided by the addition of advantageous biologic or chemicalsubstances.

It is a further object of the present invention to obtain water fromnaturally occurring sources where the gravitational potential energy ofthe water is utilized in connection with the natural environment tofilter and purify the water. In one embodiment, water to be filtered,cleaned, or otherwise used in the present invention is delivered by theforce of gravity alone.

It is a further object of the present invention to filter, assess andensure purity via predetermined criteria, and obtain clean water bychanneling glacial water through additional phases of natural filtrationthrough which the water passes largely, if not solely, undergravitational force. This process allows for substantially continuousnatural filtration and purification of water without continuous energyconsumption from man-made power inputs, resulting in reduced productioncosts and reduced carbon emissions.

It is a further object of the present invention to implement afiltration and purification process which initially uses source waterfrom strategic geographic locations, such as those regions of Earth thatare not generally impacted by carbon emissions and other pollutantsproduced by industrialized countries due to the physical location of thesource and prevailing winds. In a preferred embodiment, the presentinvention includes a method whereby only water from desirablelatitudinal locations of the Earth is selected for filtration and/orprocessing.

It is yet another object of the present invention to produce safe andhealthy drinking water with signature characteristics of the geographiclocation from which it originated. In certain embodiments, water treatedin accordance with the method/system set forth herein may have added toit particular “markers,” or have certain characteristics or “markers”enhanced to provide later evidence and proof of at least one of origin,quality, source, purity, geological formation, treatment regimen,latitudinal characteristics, mineral content, extra territorial content,etc. In such a manner, counterfeiting of legitimate water can bedeterred, prevented, and/or investigated.

It is another object of the present invention to procure water fordistribution which is of sufficient purity, without being subjected tochemical or biological treatments, that it may be reasonably calculatedor asserted to contain amino acids and other compounds that can form thebuilding blocks of life. Furthermore, the present invention contemplatesemploying known methods for evaluating and detecting the presence ofthese and other compounds in order to affirmatively establish theirpresence.

To facilitate best mode and written description concerns, variousaspects of how to make and use the present invention can be betterunderstood by referring to the particular prior art systems. Forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 7,332,082 to Brandlmaier discloses achemical-free method of treating and keeping clean water and is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety. Brandlmaier discloses amethod of transporting water to different filter stages by gravity.However, Brandlmaier necessarily involves a biologic filter, such as aplanted ground filter, as one phase of the filtration process beforeoptionally returning the water to a swimming facility.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,569,148 to Elefritz, Jr. et al. discloses a method oftreating wastewater utilizing sequence batch reactors and membranefilters, and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.Elefritz, Jr. et al. teach a filtration system that requires abiological reactor, thereby requiring additional production costs ascompared to the present invention.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,077,963 to McConchie et al. discloses a process fortreating acidic water containing dissolved organic solvents and ishereby incorporate by reference. McConchie et al. fails to teach amethod for treating water that does not require the addition ofsubstances. In this manner, McConchie et al. fails to teach at leastsome of the novel aspects of the present invention.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,261 to Pyper discloses a system for filteringbacteria and preparing drinking water and is hereby incorporated byreference. Pyper discloses a system that includes biological filtrationand does not rely upon gravity as a source of energy input.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,450 to Piper et al. discloses a modular array offilter elements for treating water and is hereby incorporated byreference. Piper et al. disclose a quadrilateral module. Accordingly,Piper et al. teach away from aspects of the present invention which arenot confined to quadrilateral arrays.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/465,193 to Mitchell et al. disclosesa method for filtering and removing bacteria from water and is herebyincorporated by reference. Mitchell et al. disclose a system thatinvolves a filter housing comprising mesoporous activated carbon.Mitchell et al. fail to teach novel aspects of the present invention. Asone of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, various aspects of theabove systems can be employed in practicing different embodiments of thepresent invention.

These and other advantages will be apparent from the disclosure of theinvention(s) contained herein. The above-described embodiments,objectives, and configurations are neither complete nor exhaustive. Aswill be appreciated, other embodiments of the invention are possibleusing, alone or in combination, one or more of the features set forthabove or described in detail below.

In one embodiment, a method for trading water is provided, the methodgenerally comprising: (a) connecting a first entity desiring to obtainwater having at least one specific characteristic with a second entityhaving possession of a source of water comprising the at least onespecific characteristic; (b) conveying from the first entity to thesecond entity information relating to the quantity and characteristic ofthe desired water; (c) based on the information conveyed, transferringtitle to a quantity of water having the desired specific characteristicthat the second entity is willing to transfer, from the second entity tothe first entity, wherein the second entity receives compensation in anamount related to the quantity of water covered by the transferredtitle.

In various embodiments, the entities involved in the claimed method canbe individuals or groups of individuals such as corporations,partnerships, agencies, non-profit agencies, and the like, orcombinations thereof. Moreover it should be noted that the compositionof one entity of a method of the present invention is independent of thecomposition of the other entity. That is, for example, the first entitymay be an individual while the second entity may be a company. Any suchcombination is contemplated. It is also contemplated that the roleperformed by the two entities of the claimed invention be conducted bythe same entity, as certain advantages of such an arrangement couldresult. By way of example and in further support of the presentdisclosure, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0063902 toConstantz et al. is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

As used herein, the terms connecting, connect, linking, link, and thelike mean that the two entities interact in such a way as to allow atwo-way transfer of information. Any means of connection that allowscommunication between the entities can be used to practice the presentinvention. In one embodiment, the connection is formed using anelectronic device. Any electronic device is suitable so long as itallows communication between the entities. Examples of useful electronicdevices include, but are not limited to, data transmission devices,telephones, cellular phones, facsimile machines, and computers.

In various embodiments, the two entities connect through an exchange. Asused herein, an exchange is a collective, institution, organization, orassociation which hosts a market where stocks, bonds, options andfutures, commodities, and the like, are traded. Buyers and sellers cometogether in the exchange to trade. In the present invention, an exchangeis envisioned as trading water or rights therein, although the trade ofother stocks, bonds, options and futures, commodities and the like, mayalso occur within the same exchange. Such an exchange can be located atone or more physical locations that may or may not be connected by meansof communication, such as telephone or data transmission lines. Inaddition, such exchanges can lack a physical location, such as abuilding, and exist solely on a network such as, for example, a computernetwork. It should also be understood that an exchange may refer to anexisting exchange (e.g., The New York Stock Exchange, The ChicagoMercantile Exchange, etc.), or it may refer to an entirely new exchange.

With regard to the present invention, water refers to water having oneor more characteristic that renders it desirable to a consumingpopulation. In one embodiment, the characteristic possessed by the waterhas high degree of purity. A high degree of purity refers to water thatis substantially free of harmful contaminants. A contaminant is anysubstance in the water deemed undesirable by the purchaser of the water.Examples of contaminants include, but are not limited to, heavy metals,including transition metals, metalloids, lanthanoids, and actinides(e.g. Mercury, Lead, Chromium, etc.), uranium, arsenic, chlorine,trihalomethanes (THM's), uranium, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls),nitrate, nitrite, pesticides, herbicides, volatile organic compounds,carbon emissions from coal and petroleum fired power plants, and harmfulmicroorganisms such as coliform bacteria, giardia, and cryptosporidium.While it will be recognized that certain contaminants may be more orless harmful to different individuals, substantially free of harmfulcontaminants means that the source contains such a low level ofcontaminants as to not cause illness or harm to an adult human when upto 64 fluid ounces are consumed on a daily basis. Methods of determiningand quantifying purity are known in the art. For example, contaminantscan be measured in parts per million (ppm). In one embodiment,contaminants are present in the water at a level of no more than 1000ppm, 500 ppm, 250 ppm, 100 ppm, 75 ppm, 50 ppm, 25 ppm, 10 ppm, 5 ppm,2.5 ppm, or 1 ppm. Such levels can also be expressed in terms ofpercentages. For example, 1 ppm is equal to 0.0001% on a volume pervolume or weight per volume basis. In one embodiment, contaminants arepresent in the water at a level of no more than 5%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%,0.05%, 0.025%, 0.01%, 0.0075%, 0.005%, 0.0025%, 0.001%, 0.0005%,0.00025%, or 0.0001%. Methods of measuring such levels of contaminationare known to those skilled in the art. It should be recognized, however,that the present invention is not limited to any type or purity ofwater. Rather, any water or liquid having a market value is contemplatedby various embodiments of the present invention. One of skill in the artwill recognize various substances considered to be “harmful” orundesirable for consumption as used herein. For example, the UnitedStates Environmental Protection Agency has enumerated a number of thesecontaminants. These contaminants are incorporated herein by referenceand represent examples of some contaminants to which the presentinvention is concerned.

In one embodiment, the high level of purity is the result of naturalprocesses such as, for example, filtration through soil. By selecting awater source of sufficient initial purity, natural and organic filteringcan be applied to produce high quality potable water without the use ofsterilization chemicals or energy intensive filtration means. It isknown that soil acts as a natural filter of water. In addition to themechanical capturing of solid particles, the term filtering in thiscontext also involves retaining chemicals, transforming chemicals, andrestricting the movement of certain substances. These acts of filteringare often known as soil attenuation. Soil attenuation includes theability to immobilize metals and remove bacteria that may be carriedinto the water through such means as human or mammalian waste. It isfurther known that fine textured soils, such as clay, provide superiorfiltration of water when compared to large grained or coarse soils suchas sand. Water travels through coarse soils more rapidly, therebyreducing contact between the water and soil and thus reducing filtrationor attenuation. Permeability is a typical measure of a soil's ability totransmit water and other fluids. Clay is known to have a relatively lowpermeability as a result of its small grain size and large surface area,causing increased friction between water transmitting through the clay.Clay may have a permeability, or hydraulic conductivity, as low as 10⁻⁹centimeters per second whereas well sorted sands and gravels typicallyhave a permeability of 10⁻³ to 1 centimeter per second.

One of skill in the art will recognize that storage, as well astransport, of commodities is an important and necessary feature oftrading systems. Therefore, it is yet another aspect of the presentinvention to provide means for mooring, stabilizing, and/or parkingdevices adapted for use with the present invention. For example, U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0157513 to Dyhrberg, which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a mooringsystem for mooring a vessel to a floor portion of a body of water. Theseand similar devices may be incorporated into various embodimentsdescribed herein in order to accommodate, for example, issues related todock or on-shore storage restrictions, weather and tidal conditions,unpredictable transit times, legal and insurance issues related topositioning a device on-shore or at a dock, and physical restrictionsassociated with shallow water ports. As used herein, a substantiallyimmovable object refers to mooring devices (despite their generalability to drift or float within a certain radius) as well as moretraditional fixed objects such as docks, land, anchored vessels,anchors, etc.

In an alternative embodiment, the present invention comprises theability to be oriented in a substantially vertical position, either whenin a filled or emptied state, due to a portion of the towed vessel beingcapable of decreasing its buoyancy by the intake of various materials.Such a device comprises a two-way valve which enables the selectivecontrol of the buoyancy of one longitudinal end of the vessel and thusprovides for ease of storage and protection of the vessel and itscontents.

One of skill in the art will recognize that where quantities of waterare to be stored, degradation of water quality may become a concern.Accordingly, various embodiments of the present invention contemplate adevice which is adapted for preventing growth and propagation of mold,mildew, algae and other deleterious effects caused over time to aquantity of water. By way of example and to further provide support anddisclosure, the following references are incorporated by reference intheir entireties: U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,731,847 to Huy, 5,229,005 to Fok etal., 4,512,886 to Hicks et al., 6,580,025 to Guy, 7,690,319 to Wingate,7,686,539 to Aristaghes et al.

In one embodiment, a water storage device of the present invention isadapted for storage in a vertical manner (i.e. wherein a longitudinalaxis of a bag is disposed substantially vertically and extending into adepth of a body of water). In this embodiment, the bag or vesselcomprises various features for circulating or distributing waterthroughout. For example, features as described in U.S. Pat. No.6,580,025 to Guy may be incorporated into storage and transportationdevices of the present invention. One of ordinary skill in the art willrecognize that when a device is positioned generally longitudinally in abody of water, the lower regions of the device will be cooled due to thewater at greater depths being of generally lower temperatures.Accordingly, a device stored longitudinally will generally adopt athermocline similar to the body of water in which it is disposed, unlessacted upon by additional forces/features. Therefore, in one embodiment,convection currents are induced within a water storage device bysupplying, for example, thermal energy to a lower portion of the storageunit, thereby causing water in the lower portions of the device to heat,expand, and rise to the top, creating convection currents and reducingdeleterious effects caused by allowing a volume of water to remainstagnant.

In various embodiments, devices of the present invention comprise theability to convert and/or utilize energy from naturally occurringresources such as solar, wind, wave, and thermal resources. In variousembodiments, energy captured and/or converted from these sources may beused for various on-board functions, such as propulsion, heating, andvarious purification techniques.

In one embodiment, a vessel comprises photovoltaic arrays adapted forconverting solar energy into forms of energy which may be usedthroughout the device and/or system. For example, solar energy may becaptured, concentrated, and/or converted in a manner that allows forheating of a submerged volume of water (i.e. via thermal energy,electrical energy, or various combinations thereof) and the subsequentcreation of convection currents throughout the system.

It is known that when pliable vessels are used to tow or transportvolumes of water, wave propagation through the body of water and/orstored volume of water can present undesirable complications.Accordingly, various embodiments of the present invention comprise wavedamping features adapted to reduce such effects. For example, variousdevices and features described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,686,539 to Aristaghes,which is incorporated by reference herein, may be utilized with featuresof the present invention. For example, wave dampening structures may bedisposed within water containing vessels and/or positioned around watercontaining vessels of the present invention.

In various embodiments, the present invention utilizes existing systemsand devices of water, liquid, and/or gas transport to convey or storewater. For example, in various embodiments, devices and systems may beretro-fitted or reconstructed in such a way to safely and efficientlytransport large volumes of water. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,727,492 to Cuneo etal, 5,099,779 to Kawaichi et al., 7,451,604 to Yoshida et al., 4,224,802to Ooka, 4,331,129 to Hong et al., and 6,997,643 to Wille et al., U.S.Patent Application Nos. 2008/0110091 to Perkins et al, 2005/0095068 toWille et al., 2009/0126400 to Pozivil, 2005/0276666 to Wille et al., and2008/0127654 to Darling et al. are incorporated by reference herein intheir entireties.

In certain embodiments, the present invention contemplates devices,methods and systems for utilizing pre-existing Liquefied Natural Gas(“LNG”) tankers in a manner that allows the ships to be returned to apoint of origin or another location with fresh water after some or allof a payload of LNG has been delivered. Thus, in various embodiments, anovel gas-water exchange system is provided. It is known that LNGtankers may comprise volumes of up to 225,000 cubic meters. Accordingly,in various embodiments, re-filling even a portion of a LNG containerwith potable water can result in provision of a significant amount ofhighly demanded water to a point of origin or alternative location. Asmany LNG tankers currently deliver a payload and return empty,re-supplying such vessels with water not only provides economicviability for an otherwise empty return voyage, but also increases theship's ballast and fuel efficiency.

In one embodiment, one or more bladders are provided wherein the one ormore bladders are adapted to be placed within an emptied volume of a LNGshipping container (i.e., tank, hull, etc.) and further filled withwater to provide ballast and/or valuable shipping contents for a returnor additional voyage. Accordingly, in various embodiments, significantvalue is provided to shipping activities by supplying a vessel with avaluable return-shipment, such as water. In one embodiment, at leastportions of LNG contained within a LNG tanker are emptied or extractedat the appropriate location (e.g. a regasification plant). Thereafter,emptied portions of a LNG shipping vessel or container are provided witha liner suitable for preventing or minimizing contamination frompreviously and/or contemporaneously stored gas. For example, variousliners available from Fab-Seal Industrial Liners, Inc. may be providedto accommodate water to be stored within a LNG tank and isolate thewater from various materials, gases, debris, etc. Liners suitable foruse in the present invention include, but are not limited to, P.V.C.flexible membrane liner materials.

In various embodiments, bags or liners for isolating water or liquidsmay be fabricated in any desired manner, including in a completelyflattened conformation. For example, two sheets of fabric may be cut tothe desired plan shape and joined at their adjacent edges by suitablemeans consistent with the material of construction. For example, heatwelding or solvent welding may be used if certain polymeric materialshave been employed as the substance coating the fabric. Sewing may benecessary in addition. It is possible that the overall cost of a bag maybe reduced if the center section and the edges are fabricatedseparately, i.e., not the flattened conformation.

In various embodiments, the bag is not a body of revolution or, inparticular, tubular. In various embodiments, the top and bottom surfacesare indistinguishable and the bag or liner may be periodically turnedover to equalize damage due to sun, weather, mold, aging, etc.

In various embodiments, liners of the present invention comprise awater-resistant, elastomer-coated mesh material, such mesh materialbeing constructed of polymeric material having some inherent elasticity,such as polyester or nylon. A warp knit mesh construction is preferredin certain embodiments. The mesh material also may be steel mesh,preferably hexagonal netting of drawn steel wire or similar high modulusmaterial, such as extended-chain crystallized polymer.

In various embodiments, the base fabric is provided with an elastomericcoating for the purposes of providing water-proofing as well asprotecting the material of construction from ultraviolet degradation andmarine growth.

In various embodiments, devices and methods of the present invention maybe used to store, as well as transport, quantities of water orconsumable liquids. As will be recognized by one of ordinary skill inthe art, varying supply and demand for water or other liquids willfluctuate based on numerous conditions. Accordingly, the presentinvention contemplates methods and systems for housing or storing wateroff-shore and/or at port. In various embodiments, methods formaintaining purity and sterility of water are provided. For example, inone embodiment, ultra-violet light is periodically applied to storedquantities of water so as to neutralize or destroy various bacteria,viruses and protozoan cysts such as giardia and cryptosporidia.

In various embodiments, LNG shipping containers are utilized totransport large quantities of water. It is known that LNG shippingcontainers have enjoyed a history of stellar safety. It is estimatedthat LNG tankers have sailed over 100 million miles without a shipboarddeath or even a major safety incident. Although water generally does notpose any environmental or significant safety risks in the event of anaccident or spill, it is clearly desirable to protect all cargo fromrisk of loss, contamination, or general diminution in value.

In one embodiment, internal surfaces or portions may be coated withvarious materials to prevent or minimize risk of cross-contamination.For example, various spray-coatings may be applied once a quantity ofLNG is emptied from a portion of the vessel to create a virgin surfacefor the holding and contacting with water or similar fluid cargoes. Byway of example, industrial water-proof coatings provided by theProcachem Corporation may be provided to coat, cover, or seal a surfacethat was exposed to or in contact with LNG so as to render the surfacecapable of accommodating water without significant risk ofcross-contamination. In various embodiments, internal volumes of storagetanks or similar structures are coated with a layer of material, thelayer of material comprising an appropriate thickness to substantiallyeliminate the risk of cross-contamination between a liquid or materialto be stored and a liquid or material previously stored in the sametank. In various embodiments, the layer of material applied is not sothick as to substantially impact the overall internal volume of thecontainer, tank, vessel, etc.

In one embodiment, one or more tank cleaning apparatus are employed tocleanse the inside of a container or tank. For example, various featuresas shown and described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2009/0308412 to Dixon, which is incorporated by reference herein, may beemployed to prepare various LNG shipping tankers and similar containersfor the transport of cargo other than LNG.

One of skill in the art will recognize that various methods and devicesof the present invention are not limited to LNG shipping tanks ortankers. Indeed, various methods, features, and systems as describedherein may be utilized with a variety of shipping containers andvessels, including, but not limited to, war-ships, recreational vessels,bags, cargo-ships, etc.

In various embodiments, non-rigid structures are utilized to store,transport, and/or convey volumes of water. Applicant hereby incorporatesby reference in their entireties U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/551,125 to Szydlowski, filed on Oct. 19, 2006 and U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application 61/251,912 to Szydlowski, filed on Oct. 15, 2009. Infurtherance of the present disclosure, the following references areincorporated by reference herein in their entireties: U.S. Pat. Nos.7,500,442 to Schanz, 6,047,655 to Cran, 6,330,865 to Cran, 6,550,410 toReimers, 5,488,921 to Spragg, 6,293,217 to Savage et al., and 5,197,912to Lengefeld. In various embodiments, non-rigid structures adapted tocontain water are utilized to store, transport, and otherwiseaccommodate water.

In various embodiments, methods and systems for conveying water in,over, and under land are provided. For example, in various embodiments,it is contemplated to utilize pre-existing easements and/or passageways,such as railway easements, for conveying water or similar liquidproducts of value to various locations. In one embodiment, a noveltrench-digging system is provided on one or more portions of a railwaycar. By way of example, and for further enabling support of the presentdisclosure, the following references are hereby incorporated byreference in their entireties: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,713,898 to Bull et al.,4,563,826 to Whitaker Jr., 4,890,958 to Dancer, 4,736,534 to Daniels etal., and 3,967,396 to Maisonneuve et al.

In one embodiment, a method for trading water is provided, the methodcomprising: (a) connecting a first entity desiring to obtain waterhaving at least one specific characteristic with a second entity havingpossession of a source of water comprising the at least one specificcharacteristic; (b) conveying from the first entity to the second entityinformation relating to the amount and characteristic of the desiredwater; (c) based on the information conveyed, transferring title to anamount of water having the desired specific characteristic that thesecond entity is willing to transfer, from the second entity to thefirst entity, and the second entity receives compensation in an amountrelated to the amount of water covered by the transferred title.

In various alternative embodiments, the water possessed by the secondentity is sequestered in a form other than a liquid. For example, invarious embodiments, the water possessed by the second entity issequestered as ice.

In various embodiments, the specific characteristic of water to beobtained is selected from the group consisting of: being from a specificgeological time period, having a specific purity, comprising a specificnutrient, and having been purified by filtration through native soils.In various embodiments, the second entity has ownership in the watercomprising the at least one specific characteristic.

In various embodiments, the step of conveying is performed using anelectronic device, such as, for example, a computer network. In someembodiments, the step of conveying comprises an exchange.

In one embodiment, a method of trading water is provided where the wateris sequestered as ice, and following transfer of title, an amount ofwater covered by a title is recovered from the ice.

In yet another embodiment, a method of trading water is providedcomprising: (a) connecting a first entity desiring to obtain waterhaving at least one specific characteristic with a second entity havingpossession of a source of water comprising the at least one specificcharacteristic; (b) conveying from the first entity to the second entityinformation relating to the amount and characteristic of the desiredwater; (c) based on the information conveyed, transferring title to anamount of water having the desired specific characteristic that thesecond entity is willing to transfer, from the second entity to thefirst entity, and the second entity receives compensation in an amountrelated to the amount of water covered by the transferred title; and (d)transferring physical possession of the water to the first entity.

In various embodiments, a method is provided wherein the water istransferred to a geographic location different from the location atwhich it is possessed by the second entity. Additionally, in variousembodiments, physical transfer of the water comprises a tanker, bag, orsimilar vessel adapted for transporting a large volume of water.

In various embodiments, a method of shipping is provided, the methodcomprising a first location, a second location, and a shipping vessel.In particular embodiments, the first location comprises substantialquantities of natural gas and the second location comprises substantialquantities of water. Shipping vessels of the present invention maytherefore be provided with cargo comprising natural gas at a firstlocation and transported to a second location. Subsequently, in variousembodiments, a shipping vessel is at least partially emptied of thecargo comprising natural gas and provided with cargo comprising water atthe second location. In various embodiments, the shipping vessel istransported from the second location back to the first location.

In alternative embodiments, a method of shipping is provided whereincargo comprising water has a first value and cargo comprising naturalgas has a second value, and a purchase price of the cargo comprisingnatural gas is offset by the difference between the second value and thefirst value.

In various embodiments, shipping vessels employed by the presentinvention are adapted for the transportation of liquefied natural gas.In various embodiments, the shipping vessel(s) is adapted for thetransportation of fresh water for at least a portion of the vessel(s)journey.

In one embodiment, a method of trading and transporting water isprovided, the method generally comprising a trading platform foridentifying areas of high water supply and/or low value supply. Invarious embodiments, the platform, which may take the form of anelectronic database, identifies areas of low water supplies and/or areaswhere water would be considered “high value.” For example, in variousembodiments, a method and system of the present invention may comprise aplatform for determining areas or entities having large quantities ofwater available for shipment

Water trading platforms, such as those available through Waterfind WaterMarket Specialists of Australia, are generally known for bringingpotential buyers and sellers of water and/or water rights together.Various features, systems, and methods of the present invention furthercontemplate connecting individuals and entities across great distancesand transporting or conveying water across such distances. Accordingly,various features, systems, and methods of the present invention provideworldwide liquidity to any number of water markets. In variousembodiments, water trading is expanded beyond simple irrigationdistricts, watersheds, counties, and even countries. The presentinvention contemplates a global water market wherein buyers and sellersare connected regardless of spatial relationships. Thus, for example,whereas relatively small regions having disparate climates and watersupplies/needs may benefit from traditional water rights trading systems(e.g. where water may be diverted through local infrastructure), thepresent invention contemplates connecting individuals, entities, andstates whether they be separated by a matter of feet or a few thousandmiles. Furthermore, in various embodiments, a method and system isprovided wherein a first entity is connected with a second entity, thefirst entity having a supply of water, the second entity having a supplyof a different resource, and wherein water may be conveyed from thefirst entity to the second entity and the price offset or otherwiseimpacted by a value and quantity of the different resource. Applicanthereby incorporates by reference in their entireties U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/551,125 to Szydlowski, filed on Oct. 19, 2006and U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/251,912 to Szydlowski, filedon Oct. 15, 2009.

Devices for transporting a single large volume of water or liquid in andthrough the Earth's waterways have been contemplated. For example, U.S.Pat. No. 6,550,410 to Reimers, which is hereby incorporated by referencein its entirety, discloses a system and method for storing and conveyingfluids, where the system is adapted for towing by marine crafts inoffshore conditions. Reimers further discloses a collapsible fluidcontainer with an elongated shape, towing, and mooring means, as well ascontainer retrieval, storage and deployment means. Reimers, however,does not teach various novel features of the present invention,including, but not limited to, locating means, rapid filling and/oremptying means, and means for preserving the purity and integrity offluids to be housed within.

Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 7,500,442 to Schanz, which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a submergedtransport and storage system for liquids and solids. Schanz discloses atowable vessel with optional air and liquid storage bladders useful foradjusting buoyancy and allowing simultaneous transport of differentsolids and liquids. Schanz further discloses a cord-like connectingspine passing through the hull towing attachment ends to providelongitudinal reinforcement and prevent undesired distortion of thevessel during towing. Schanz, however, fails to teach a device which maybe readily transported and/or stored when not in use. Furthermore,Schanz also fails to teach a device with means for locating the towedvessel.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,047,655 and 6,330,865 to Cran, which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entireties, disclose a flexiblebarge. These references disclose system comprising a flexible bargestructure with a system of straps to prevent propagation of rips and todistribute concentrated tow forces over the bag. Cran fails to teachseveral novel aspects of the present invention.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,391,926 to Scott, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety, discloses a non-rigid barge for transportingfluids and other materials by water. Scott also discloses an uppersurface or deck of the barge equipped with radio controlled lights orother means for navigational purposes. Scott, however, fails to teach adevice comprising means for rapid filling and emptying of fluids andother substances, signaling or other locating means outside of those forpurely navigational purposes, means for filtering and/or preserving theintegrity of liquids housed within, and means for storing andtransporting the towed vessel when not in use.

Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,217 to Savage et al., which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses an apparatus andmethod for transporting fluid cargo through liquid. Savage et al.,discloses an apparatus consisting of one or more units in substantiallylinear alignment, wherein at least one of the units includes two or morenon-internally reinforced containers coupled in a side by side manner.Savage et al., further discloses various close coupled configurations ofa plurality of fluid containing units, but fails to teach various novelaspects of the present invention, such as means for signaling,identifying, and/or locating a lost fluid containing unit, means forrapid filling and/or emptying of a device, and means for preserving theintegrity of water or other contents contained within the device.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,921 to Spragg, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety, discloses a flexible fabric barge apparatusand method for transporting fluent cargos. More specifically, Spraggdiscloses a series of flexible fabric barges that are connected togetherin a string for towing and further include a fabric towing cone zipperconnected to the lead barge. Spragg, however, fails to disclose variousnovel features of the present invention.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an at leastpartially submersible, towed vessel capable of transporting volumes offluent cargos, such as potable water, juice, wine, and/or various otherfluids suitable for human use and consumption.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a devicesuitable for containing large volumes of fluent cargos that is furthercapable of being towed by various water craft.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a towedfluid containing vessel further comprising means to facilitate the rapidfilling and emptying of fluids to be contained within. In oneembodiment, the present invention comprises a plurality of ports throughwhich a liquid and/or air/gas are conveyed to facilitate the rapidemptying and/or filling of such devices.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a watertowed vessel further comprising means for signaling a physical positionof the vessel. For example, means may be provided to signal to othervessels or individuals the presence and location of the vessel. In oneembodiment, lighting means and beacons are disposed on a dorsal portionof a vessel to indicate the presence of the vessel to nearby persons andother vessels. Additional devices, such as nets, buoys, and gatedsystems, for example, may be deployed around a perimeter of the deviceto alert various individuals and vessels of the presence of the vesseland/or a vessel's sub-surface presence. U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,912 toLengefeld discloses a buoy for attachment to the net line of a fishingnet and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Devicesdisclosed in Lengefeld and those similar may be employed in variousfeatures and embodiments of the present invention. For example, a ringor net with marker buoys useful for keeping the ring/net afloat andsimultaneously serving as a visual indicator may be employed.

Additionally, means may be provided in association with the vessel toconvey information to users or devices at various locations throughoutthe world regarding the coordinates or relative position of the towedvessel, such as through global positioning systems (“GPS”) and othersimilar devices. Thus, in one embodiment, the present inventioncomprises light-emitting devices for signaling a position of the deviceas well as at least one GPS transmitter for broadcasting/transmitting alocation of the device.

In an alternative embodiment, devices of the present invention compriseat least one GPS transmission device which is in communication with anetwork or database that is further accessible by various additionaldevices. Additional devices of the present invention may include, forexample, computer terminals, handheld devices, and a variety of otherdevices capable of receiving GPS information. Thus, embodiments of thepresent invention may be tracked by any number of individuals or systemsthroughout the world.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide means forease of storage and/or transportation of the towed vessel when not inuse for transporting fluent cargos. Such means may include, for example,the ability to fold, roll, or compress the present invention for ease ofstorage and/or transportation when towing is not desired or needed. Inan alternative embodiment, the present invention comprises variablebuoyancy control which allows for the adjustment of buoyancy at one ormore locations of the device. For example, when a device of the presentinvention is empty, one longitudinal end of the device may be deprivedof buoyancy, while an opposing longitudinal end is allowed to remainbuoyant, thus allowing the elongate shape to be positioned in agenerally vertical position. In this manner, the device is capable ofoccupying less area at the surface of a body of water.

In another embodiment, the present invention comprises reinforcingstraps secured to at least a portion of the device which are furtheradapted to accommodate and/or distribute stresses applied to the vesselwhile being towed. In one embodiment, the reinforcing straps aresecurely connected with a towing portion of the device and extendradially outward along at least a portion of the vessel's longitudinallength.

It is known that various regions of the Earth which greatly desireand/or require water (for example) are generally devoid of thelarge-scale infrastructure that is often necessary to quickly extractthe contents of a large vessel. Accordingly, embodiments of the presentinvention include various means for short or long-term off-shorestorage. In one embodiment, the present invention is stationed in theproximity of an area in need of water or similar fluids (e.g. a disasterarea) in an off-shore location via the use of mooring or substantiallyimmovable objects. Contents of the device are then extracted from thedevice on an as-needed basis and conveyed to an on-shore location viasmaller vessels or temporary conduits (e.g. PVC or similar piping).

In an alternative embodiment, the present invention is capable ofselective communication with fixed on-shore infrastructure and devicescapable of emptying and subsequently storing the entirety of the volumeof a towed vessel. For example, conveying/emptying devices disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 6,550,410 to Reimers, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety, and those similar may be employed in variousembodiments of the present invention.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide means forfiltering fluids to be contained within the device. Such filtering maycomprise, for example, filtration upon entrance of the fluid into thevessel, filtration during transport of the fluid, and/or filtration ofthe fluid upon exit from the vessel. In one embodiment, indigenous (i.e.with respect to the fluids originating source) soils, sands, clays, etc.are provided within or in combination with filters at the entry and exitpoints of a towed device, thereby forcing water to be conveyed through anatural filter upon entrance and/or exit from a towed device. In oneembodiment, disposable filters are provided which may be discardedand/or have filtration contents replaced after a certain number offiltration passes.

It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide means formooring, stabilizing, and/or parking devices of the present invention.For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0157513 toDyhrberg, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety,discloses a mooring system for mooring a vessel to a floor portion of abody of water. These and similar devices may be incorporated intovarious embodiments described herein in order to accommodate, forexample, issues related to dock or on-shore storage restrictions,weather and tidal conditions, unpredictable transit times, legal andinsurance issues related to positioning a device on-shore or at a dock,and physical restrictions associated with shallow water ports. As usedherein, a substantially immovable object refers to mooring devices(despite their general ability to drift or float within a certainradius) as well as more traditional fixed objects such as docks, land,anchored vessels, anchors, etc.

In an alternative embodiment, the present invention comprises theability to be oriented in a substantially vertical position, either whenin a filled or emptied state, due to a portion of the towed vessel beingcapable of decreasing its buoyancy by the intake of various materials.Such a device comprises a two-way valve which enables the selectivecontrol of the buoyancy of one longitudinal end of the vessel and thusprovides for ease of storage and protection of the vessel and itscontents.

In another embodiment, the invention comprises structures capable ofstabilizing towed vessels in a generally vertical arrangement (e.g. forstorage). For example, in one embodiment, a first end of a towed vesselis secured to a substantially immobile device and a second end of atowed vessel is secured to means adapted for altering the depth of thesecond end. In this embodiment, the second end of a substantially emptytowed vessel may be selectively transmitted to a submerged position andthe towed vessel oriented in a substantially vertical position.Embodiments of the present invention further allow for the vessel to bere-surfaced by, for example, actuating the means adapted for alteringthe depth of the second end of the vessel. Means adapted for alteringdepth may be comprised of various known devices comprising at least onelinear translation element. For example, worm gears adapted for use intranslating associated nuts, pulley systems, hydraulic jack or elevatordevices, rail actuators, and various other known devices may beincorporated into embodiments of the present invention. Thus, in oneembodiment, the present invention comprises a towed vessel with anelongate shape, a first end adapted for communication with a mooringdevice that is free to translate within a given radius, and a second endadapted for communication with a linear translation device thatselectively adjusts the depth of at least the second end of the vessel.

In one embodiment, water located at greater depths which is known to beof cooler temperature is allowed to cool a volume of fluid or airdisposed within a submerged portion of the present invention, thusproviding for additional vertical anchoring capabilities. Variousselectively controlled valves are useful for further controllingbuoyancy. For example, in one embodiment, once a towed vessel isoriented in a generally vertical position, colder/denser water proximalto a submerged location is drawn into at least a portion of the vessel,facilitating vertical storage of the device. User operated valves arefurther capable of being activated in order to dispel said colder/denserwater when the vessel is to be repositioned generally parallel with asurface.

Those of skill in the art will recognize that oceanic thermoclines andhaloclines may be taken advantage for the storage, convection, etc. ofvarious embodiments of the present invention. In one embodiment, wateror fluid disposed in a submerged portion of the vessel may be heated,thus inducing convection currents within a towed device and preservingintegrity of the water. Density of water, which is defined asMass/Volume (g/cm³) may be accounted for, adjusted, and otherwisemodified in various embodiments of the present invention. It is furtherknown that seawater is denser than freshwater, thus facilitating thetransport of a contained volume of freshwater through a denser body ofsalt water.

It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a toweddevice which is capable of being transported in series with additionaltowed devices or consists. Thus, in one embodiment, a towed devicecomprises the ability to be placed in secure communication with one ormore additional towed devices, thereby providing the ability to increasethe total volume of a fluid to be transported. In one embodiment, thepresent invention comprises tracking abilities, such as those describedin European Patent No. EP 1,723,021 to Hendrickson et al. whichdiscloses a Rail Car Tracking System and is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety. Although Hendrickson et al. relates generallyto the field of rail transportation, those of skill in the art willrecognize that various embodiments as described therein may beapplicable to and useful for tracking water-towed vessels of the presentinvention, whether towed in consists/trains, or towed individually. Tagreaders for use in the present invention may be disposed on, forexample, docks, buoys, vessels, aircraft, etc. and may be capable ofreading information from water-towed vessels related to physicalposition, contents, temperature (internal or external to the towedvessel, velocity, and other pertinent information).

These and other needs are addressed by the various embodiments andconfigurations of the present invention. These and other advantages willbe apparent from the disclosure of the invention(s) contained herein.The above-described embodiments, objectives, and configurations areneither complete nor exhaustive. As will be appreciated, otherembodiments of the invention are possible using, alone or incombination, one or more of the features set forth above or described indetail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a natural glacial melt water filtration system,utilizing gravity and additional geologic structural members to providethorough filtration;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an embodiment of the present invention usingmultiple iterations of natural filtration for glacial melt waters;

FIG. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of the present invention whereglacial ice or water may be selectively diverted through variousfilters;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the presentinvention where natural potable water is obtained from glacial ice;

FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary final product in accordance with embodimentsof the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a towed vessel suitable for transportingliquids according to one embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of a towed vessel suitable fortransporting liquids;

FIG. 8 is a diagram depicting various features of a towed vesselsuitable for transporting liquids according to one embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of a towed vesselsuitable for transporting liquids according to one embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a towed vessel suitablefor transporting liquids according to one embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a side elevation view of a towed vessel suitable fortransporting liquids according to one embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a side elevation view of the present invention according toone embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a side elevation view of the present invention according toone embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a process diagram of the present invention according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 15 is a process diagram of the present invention according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 16 is a process diagram of the present invention according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 17 is an illustration of various actual and potential routes ascontemplated by the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of glacial ice and melt water [12] as it issubjected to colloidal clay filtering. One aspect of the presentinvention is that the source water [10] is of a high degree of purity atthe beginning of the process. With respect to the present invention, ahigh degree of purity refers to an ice or water source that issubstantially free of harmful contaminants. While it will be recognizedthat certain contaminants may be more or less harmful to differentindividuals, substantially free of harmful contaminants with the respectto the present invention means that the source contains such a low levelof contaminants as to not cause illness or harm to an adult human whenup to 64 fluid ounces are consumed on a daily basis. By selecting awater source of sufficient initial purity, natural and organic filteringcan be applied to produce high quality potable water without the use ofsterilization chemicals or energy intensive filtration means. It isknown that soil acts as a natural filter of water. In addition to themechanical capturing of solid particles, the term filtering in thiscontext also involves retaining chemicals, transforming chemicals, andrestricting the movement of certain substances. These acts of filteringare often known as soil attenuation. Soil attenuation includes theability to immobilize metals and remove bacteria that may be carriedinto the water through such means as human or mammalian waste. It isfurther known that fine textured soils, such as clay, provide superiorfiltration of water when compared to large grained or coarse soils suchas sand. Water travels through coarse soils more rapidly, therebyreducing contact between the water and soil and thus reducing filtrationor attenuation. Permeability is a typical measure of a soil's ability totransmit water and other fluids. Clay is known to have a relatively lowpermeability as a result of its small grain size and large surface area,causing increased friction between water transmitting through the clay.Clay may have a permeability, or hydraulic conductivity, as low as 10⁻⁹centimeters per second whereas well sorted sands and gravels typicallyhave a permeability of 10⁻³ to 1 centimeter per second.

FIG. 1 depicts a process by which glacial water [18, 26] is filteredthrough clay deposits [14] under the force of gravity and is furthersubjected to additional filtering [22] through clay of the samecomposition that is selectively positioned by the operator of thecurrent invention. In one embodiment of the present invention, the soilused in filtration is of permeability between 1 and 10⁻¹² centimetersper second. In a preferred embodiment, soil used in the filtration haspermeability approximately between 10⁻⁵ and 10¹ centimeters per second.In a more preferred embodiment, soil is used in the filtration processthat has permeability approximately between 10⁻⁸ and 10⁻¹⁰ centimetersper second. This additional phase of clay filtration [22] is selectivelyimplemented by the user to create an additional filtration process in anarea with sufficient flow rate.

It will be recognized that this additional clay filter need not be ofany particular size. Creation of the appropriate sized filter willlargely be determined by the user's needs and the natural flow rate ofmelt water in the particular setting. By taking advantage of thegravitational potential energy of glaciers, ice caps, and the like, thepresent invention offers a significant advantage over traditionalhousehold and commercial filtration processes, such as reverse osmosis,in that the current process does not require energy input generated fromhydrocarbon sources. While it will be recognized that initialconstruction of additional clay filtration stages [22] may potentiallyrequire energy input from hydrocarbon fuels, renewable energy sourcesincluding human power, or other input, it is an object of the presentinvention that these filtration stages will operate under the energyprovided by gravitational potential energy and the kinetic energy of iceand water.

FIG. 2 depicts an embodiment of the present invention where a pluralityof additional clay filters [22, 30] have been constructed to furtherfilter and purify glacial water. It will be known to one of skill in theart that any number of additional filtration phases may be constructed.Accordingly, the present invention may be accomplished as describedherein with any feasible number of filters.

FIG. 3 depicts another embodiment of the present invention where thesource ice or water [10] is filtered through natural clay [14], furtherfiltered through a constructed additional clay filter [22], andselectively diverted by a control valve [38] based on whether or notadditional filtration is desired. The control valve [38] may beselectively adjusted to divert water and ice [36] that the user does notdesire to undergo additional filtration to bottling or processingfacilities. Alternatively, the control valve [38] may also beselectively positioned so that water and ice [26] are subjected tofurther constructed filter iterations [32]. The resulting water and ice[46] may then be diverted to processing and bottling facilities,subjected to further filtrations, or subjected to additional controlvalve and filtration steps as previously described.

FIG. 4 depicts a flowchart describing the present invention. The initialstep [50] involves selecting a glacial body or ice cap of sufficientpurity. While it will be recognized that many natural sources of waterand ice contain some level of impurity, the present inventioncontemplates a source that is generally untouched by human and mammalianbeings and located in latitudes where emissions from industrializednations have very little impact. While the present invention is notlimited to application in any particular region, glacial ice and icecaps south of 15 degrees latitude are well suited for this process. Oncea water source is identified, the present invention contemplatesallowing the glacial ice and melt water to channel naturally throughsediment in its surroundings [54]. Ideally, this sediment is composed ofclay or similar soil which provides a low permeability and naturallyfilters the water. After this first step of filtration has occurred, theresulting water is then passed through additional man-made sedimentaryfilters [58]. In one embodiment of the present invention, these filtersare composed of the same or similar clay-like soil as in process 54. Thewater may either be selectively diverted to the additional man-madefilters, or the filters may be constructed in the natural path of thewater. In various embodiments, this sedimentary filtration [54, 58] ispowered solely by gravitational forces. One benefit that will berecognized is the reduced or eliminated need to provide energy input toachieve filtration. Decision block 62 involves a determination ofwhether the water and ice should be subjected to additional sedimentaryfilters or diverted to a facility for processing and/or bottling. Ifadditional filtration is not desired, the water may be diverted by, forexample, a valve [38] to the processing or bottling facility [66]. Oneof ordinary skill in the art will realize that this valve may becomprised of a gate valve, ball valve, globe valve, three-way valve, orany valve suitable for diverting water or ice. If additional filtrationis desired, the valve may be selectively positioned to divert the wateror ice to additional sedimentary filters of the previously discussedcomposition [70].

FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary final product [74] of the present inventionwhereby clean, filtered, potable water is produced without the use ofsterilizing chemicals, such as chlorine or iodine, or energy intensivefiltration processes. A benefit of the present invention is the abilityto produce pure, potable water without destroying, filtering, oreliminating desirable active contents. By filtering the source water bynatural sedimentary processes, it is possible to market a product thatmay contain amino acids, such as glycine and other amino acids traceableto extraterrestrial bodies. With respect to the present invention,extraterrestrial bodies refer to comets, meteors, and other similarbodies. The prospect of producing pure, healthy water with prospect ofdrinking the original building blocks of life on Earth holds significantcommercial appeal.

FIG. 6 depicts a towable vessel 110 for transporting fluent cargoes. Inone embodiment of the present invention, a towable vessel 110 maycomprise a plurality of ports 114 suitable for the inlet and removal offluids to be transported. One of skill in the art will recognize that aplurality of such ports may be useful in fluid removal operations, bothas a means to increase the flow rate of fluid into a vessel 110 and/orto allow for air intake into one port 114 while fluid is extracted fromanother port 114. In some operations, it may be desirable to transportextremely large volumes of fluid. For example, it may be desirable totransport in excess of 35,000 tons of water in a single vessel 110.Accordingly, increased flow rates to and from a vessel may be desirableand stand to increase the overall efficiency of the system and fluidtransport operations.

Vessels 110 of the present invention may be comprised of a variety ofnon-rigid, flexible materials including, but not limited to, urethane,polyurethane, urethane-coated polyesters, thermoplastic urethane coatednylon, vinyl, and other similar materials or various combinations of thesame. Those of skill in the art will recognize the various advantages ofconstructing a vessel 110 of the present invention out of a flexiblematerial, including, but not limited to, the ability to easily store andtransport the vessel 110 when it is not in use for transporting liquids.

In one embodiment, a towable vessel 110 further comprises a reinforcingmember 118 on at least one node or end of the vessel for attachment totowing members and vessels. Reinforcing members 118 may be comprised ofrigid structures fastened to or otherwise connected to a pliable orflexible container 122 and capable of withstanding various tensionforces imparted to the vessel 110 during towing. Reinforcing members 118may further be connected to reinforcing seams 126 which travel through alongitudinal length of a towable vessel 110. Reinforcing seams 126 maybe comprised of a variety of known materials, including, but not limitedto metal cables, nylon cords, plastics, and various other materialssuitable for withstanding tensile loading. Reinforcing seams 126 maytransmit and resist forces applied to a towed portion of the vessel 110,thereby reducing unwanted deflection of the vessel 110 and associateddrag on the vessel 110.

In an alternative embodiment, a towed vessel 110 comprises an ellipsoidshaped hull (when in a filled state) to reduce drag, at least one airchamber to maintain the vessel in an upright position, one or more ports114 for filling and/or emptying the vessel, one or more removablebladders capable of containing and segregating different liquids ormaterials, and one or more devices capable of selectively controllingthe amount of air within a portion of the device 110 and correspondingbuoyancy.

It will be recognized that the shape of the vessel 110 may take variousdifferent forms, depending upon the desired quantity of fluid to betransported, characteristics of the vessel(s) towing the vessel 110, andother factors. However, it will further be recognized that it isdesirable to reduce drag in water towing applications. Accordingly, itis known that drag on the vessel 110 will decrease as the wetted surfacearea and width of the vessel 110 decrease, and while length increases.Therefore, in order to improve towing efficiency, an optimal geometricdesign may be constructed.

FIG. 7 depicts a side elevation view of one embodiment of the presentinvention with respect to a water line 130. In water towed operations,it may be desirable to adjust the buoyancy of the object, either due tovarious environmental conditions or based on the amount of watercontained within the vessel 110. Accordingly, the present inventioncontemplates operating a vessel 110 at various depths within a body ofwater. Variable buoyancy may be obtained, for example, through the useof a dorsal bladder (not shown) which contains air or a gas of lowerdensity than a material to be towed, which both maintains the vessel 110in an upright position and provides a certain amount of buoyancyrelative to the vessel's surroundings. Alternatively, air or gas may behoused within a main portion of the device 110 to provide similarfunctionality.

In one embodiment, ports 114 include the ability to exhaust and intakeair based on a desired level of buoyancy. For example, one or more ports114 are equipped with means, such as reversible impellers to draw air inor exhaust air from a previously disclosed bladder or from one or morefluid containing compartments of the invention 110.

Buoyancy may be adjusted, for example, when various environmentalconditions change. In long-distance open sea transit, it is known thattemperature changes may occur in the surrounding waters. Accordingly, afluid containing vessel 110 that has been towed in relatively coldwaters for a length of time may obtain an increased density due tocooling effects from the surrounding water. When such a cooled vessel110 reaches warmer waters, and particularly when there is an abrupttransition, the cooled vessel 110 may have a tendency to sink or residelower in its surrounding water. To account for this, embodiments of thepresent invention comprise means for taking in additional air andincreasing buoyancy. For example, ports 114 comprise manually activatedor logic driven motors to adjust buoyancy while the device is inoperation. A manually activated motor may be controlled from within atowing vessel or from another remote location and may allow a user toincrease the volume of air contained within a vessel 110 based on thevisual appearance of the vessel 110 or other indicia. Logic drivenmotors may be comprised of devices which sense one of: a differencebetween the temperate of water within the vessel 110 and the vessel 110itself, a sudden change in the temperature of the water within which thedevice is being towed, or the amount of submersion of the vessel 110within its surroundings. For example, a sensor may be employed at acertain location of the vessel 110 which senses the presence of anunacceptably high level of submersion and triggers motor(s) within oneor more ports 114 to intake air and thereby increase the buoyancy of thevessel 110.

It will be recognized that it is often desirable to prevent materials,such as rain, sea water, and other contaminants from entering the ports114 and thus impacting the purity of water or fluids to be transported.Accordingly, the present invention contemplates means to secure theports 114 when venting or adding fluid or gas is not desired. Forexample, covers suitable for preventing the unwanted entrance ofmaterials may be selectively actuated, such as by a remote user.Alternatively, ports 114 for venting air may be connected solely to abladder which is not interconnected to a main fluid containing portionof the device 110. In one embodiment, physical barriers may beconstructed around ports 114 which allow for the entrance and exhaust ofgas, but prevent the unwanted entrance of various fluids.

In one embodiment, one or more one-way valves may be constructed on aportion of the vessel 110 that is to reside above the water line.One-way valves are known to those of skill in the art and may beprovided to allow for the venting of gases, yet still prevent theunwanted entrance of other fluids or contaminants. For example, oneone-way valve may be employed to allow for the release of air when lessbuoyancy is desired and another may be provided to allow for theopposite flow of air into a device 110 when greater buoyancy is desired.In one embodiment, one or more of these valves are selectivelycontrolled by a user. In this manner, a user may have discretion as towhen to insert air (i.e. a user may elect to insert air during optimalconditions when the risk of taking sea or rainwater is low) and/orremove air.

As shown, one or more fins or skegs 134 may be included on a vessel at alocation below the water line 130 to increase directional stability ofthe vessel 10 while being towed. In one embodiment, one or more skegs134 may be selectively controlled to assist in steering and/ormaneuvering the potentially cumbersome vessel.

In one embodiment, the present invention comprises locating means. Aswill be recognized, submerged or partially submerged vessels may bedifficult to identify, particularly in poor lighting conditions or atnight. Additionally, it is a known risk that vessels 110 of the presentinvention and similar objects may become dislodged from their towingvessel. In such circumstances, these vessels may pose significant safetyrisks. While it is an aspect of the present invention that damage to orloss of devices of the present invention pose reduced risk to theenvironment, vessels separated from their host or towing vessel maystill pose a collision risk. Accordingly, a transmitting device, such asa Global Positioning System (“GPS”) transmitter is incorporated into oneembodiment of the present invention. The GPS transmitter may, forexample, transmit the coordinates of a vessel 110 at specified temporalincrements or when another related device requests such information.Additionally, other vessels or remote locations may be equipped with GPSsensing means to detect and convey the transmitted location of a vessel110.

FIG. 8 depicts a towed vessel for fluent cargo transport 110 equippedwith a GPS transponder 138. In one embodiment, the GPS transponder 138may be activated remotely, such as when a towing vessel recognizes thatit has lost contact with the towed vessel 110. In another embodiment,the towed vessel 110 may constantly transmit information regarding itsown coordinates. For example, the vessel 110 may transmit informationregarding its location at predetermined time intervals whether or not itis detached from a towing vessel. In yet another embodiment, a vessel110 may transmit information regarding its location upon request (i.e.at the receipt of a signal from another location or device). Informationregarding a vessel's 110 position may be transmitted to and received byvarious different locations and objects. For example, the signal andinformation transmitted by a GPS transmitter 138 may be obtained by aremote computing station 142 for processing and displaying theinformation. A remote computing station 142 may reside in a variety oflocations, including on other vessels and various fixed on-shorelocations. Information transmitted by a GPS transmitter 138 may also bereceived by various other vessels 146 potentially in the vicinity of thetowed (or misplaced) vessel 110. Vessels 146 may be equipped withindicator means 150 capable of alerting crew members that a partiallysubmerged object 110 is present in their vicinity and may pose a safetyrisk.

Various other advantages of equipping a vessel 110 with GPS locatingmeans will be recognized by those of skill in the art. For example, thestatus and progress of a fluid containing vessel 110 may be trackedremotely by interested parties to determine logistical information.

A vessel 110 may comprise visual indicia of its location and size, suchas conventional lighting members positioned at various locations on thevessel 110. Additionally, given the significant width that floatingvessels of the present invention may comprise, it is furthercontemplated that a vessel 110 may be equipped with port and starboardindicator lights to indicate the lateral boundaries of a vessel 110(i.e. conventionally, green lights are used to indicate the starboardside and red lights to indicate the port side).

One of skill in the art will recognize that it may be desirable totransport a vessel 110 of the present invention in an emptied state,such as when a vessel 110 has been transported from a source to adelivery site and must thereafter be returned. In these circumstances,it is desirable to transport the vessel 110 in a manner requiring theleast amount of storage space, weight and fuel costs. Accordingly, oneembodiment of the present invention comprises the ability to at leastpartially deflate or extract a volume of air from a vessel 110 eitherduring emptying operations or subsequent thereto. For example, vacuumpowered means for emptying a vessel 110 may be attached to ports 114 toenable the extraction of an internal volume of fluid. Once all or mostof an internal volume of fluid has been removed, the same or similarvacuum powered devices may be utilized to further extract a remaininginternal volume of air from the vessel 110. It will be recognized thatin such operations, measures may need to be taken to prevent a fullydeflated vessel from sinking. Accordingly, the device 110 may betethered to various objects, such as a towing vessel or fixed on-shoreobjects via attachment means 118 or other similar structures on thedevice 110. Deflating a vessel 110 as described offers the benefits ofreducing the overall weight and volume of a device 110 to betransported, as well as reducing the potential for mold and othercontaminants to grow inside of an otherwise damp and dark internalvolume.

Once deflated, a vessel 110 may be further compacted by folding orrolling the vessel 110 onto a storage drum or wheel. Devices for rollinga large vessel 110 onto a storage drum are described in, for example,U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,410 to Reimers, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

As an alternative to deflation, it is contemplated that vessels of thepresent invention may be alternatively filled with an air or gas of asufficiently lower density than water to provide adequate buoyancy. Inthis manner, vessels 110 may then be towed in an “empty” state withminimal drag and associated fuel consumption needed to return a vessel110 to another location for further filling or recycling. For example,helium and/or ambient air may be inserted into an emptied vessel 110 toprovide sufficient buoyancy and minimal drag upon the vessel when towedwithout fluent cargo.

Embodiments of the present invention may take the form or appearance ofvarious objects which, for example, may hold commercial appeal or value.For example, at least a portion (e.g. a non-submerged portion) of towedvessels 110 of the present invention may comprise specific shapes orform specific characters for the purpose of displaying an image or amessage. Images contemplated by the present invention include, but arenot limited to, those with commercial appeal, such as trademarked orotherwise recognizable images or slogans which can be viewed byindividuals including cruise passengers, airline passengers, andextraterrestrial image sensors (e.g. satellite photography).

It is further contemplated to provide vessels 110 of the presentinvention with the ability to selectively or temporarily display variousimages or messages. For example, portions of a vessel 110 which areinflated may be selectively inflated or positioned to display variousimages or text. In this manner, customizable messages may be displayedto various viewers. Alternatively, a portion of a vessel 110 of thepresent invention may include the ability to display written or markedimages. For example, various inks, dyes, and similar materials may beplaced upon a visible portion of the present invention. Such materialsmay be used to display, for example, the name of a company transportingcontents, a third-party advertiser, or personal messages (e.g. amarriage proposal).

In one embodiment, the present invention contemplates preserving theintegrity and purity of fluids to be contained within a vessel 110 byincorporating various features and materials of the fluids originalnatural surroundings. For example, embodiments of the present inventionmay be utilized in transporting water from remote and pristine regionsof the Earth. In such applications, various natural features of theseregions, such as natural soils and clays, may be incorporated into inthe towed vessel 110. U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/251,912 toSzydlowski, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety,discloses various benefits of naturally occurring soils when used forwater filtration purposes.

In applications where water to be transported is desired for its naturalcharacteristics, including purity, mineral content, and otherattributes, it is often desirable to maintain those characteristicsthroughout filling, transporting, and emptying a vessel 110.Accordingly, the present invention contemplates various means topreserve purity of a transported fluid, particularly when polyurethane,polyethylene, and other materials are employed as the structure of avessel 110. As shown in FIG. 9, natural sediment 154 may be depositedwithin a towed vessel 110 which may act to isolate vessel contents froman inner surface of the vessel 110 as well as provide for filtration ofthe vessel contents upon entrance or exit from the vessel 110. Naturalsediment 154 may be comprised of a variety of known soils, preferablythose indigenous to the source of the water or fluid to be transported.For example, native clay minerals may be disposed within a vessel 110 toserve this function. Those of skill in the art will recognize thebenefits offered by clay, including, but not limited to, its ability toisolate fluids from a vessel's inner surface and its effectiveness infiltration.

In addition to acting as an isolating barrier between fluid to betransported and at least a portion of vessel's inner surface, thesediment 154 may also be useful in filtering fluids contained within thevessel 110. For example, where emptying of the vessel 110 is accomplishby connecting vacuum powered means to ports 114, sediment 154 may beallowed to be drawn toward the ports 114. In one embodiment, this may beaccomplished through the use of one or more flexible tubes or conduits158. Upon reaching the ports 114, the sediment may be allowed to betrapped by any number of known filter devices. Such filter devices mayinclude, for example, various mesh screens which may trap sedimentparticles and create a sedimentary filtration mechanism at an outlet 114of the vessel 110.

In addition to or in lieu of depositing a layer of sediment within avessel 110, the interior surface area of a vessel 110 may be coated witha substance known to preserve the integrity and purity of fluid to betransported. Various coating methods and substances are known anddescribed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,808,808 to Freeman et al.,which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

In various embodiments of the present invention, coatings are utilizedon a bottom portion of a vessel 110. For example, where vessels arerequired to be towed into shallow water ports, a risk of puncture ortear to the bottom of the device 110 may be present. Accordingly, anabrasion and tear resistant material comprises at least a lower portionof the vessel 110. For example, various different Teflon fabrics maycomprise or be added to a bottom portion of a vessel 110 to avoidunwanted tearing.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional perspective view depicting one embodimentwhere a towed vessel 110 is comprised of various different internalcompartments. Embodiments of the present invention may include, forexample, a bladder 162 which may be used to provide buoyancy for thevessel 110 as well as assist in maintaining the vessel 110 in asubstantially upright position. In addition to a bladder 162,embodiments of the present invention may further comprise variouscompartments 166 within a larger vessel body 122. Various sizes andshapes of additional compartments 166 may be useful, for example, wherea variety of different fluids are to be transported and comingling ofthese fluids is undesirable. Embodiments of the present inventioncomprising multiple internal compartments 166 allow for the simultaneoustransport of, for example, fresh water, juice, wine, and a variety ofother fluids. To allow access to various different compartments 166,embodiments of the present invention provide for a variety of ports 114which allow for exclusive access to specific compartments 166. Ports 114may be connected to compartments 166 through previously describedflexible tubes or conduits. Embodiments of the present invention furthercontemplate marking systems to identify which ports 114 are associatedwith compartments 166. For example, where cross-contamination of ports114, associated tubes or conduits 158, and compartments 166 is undesired(i.e. where one or more port 114, conduit 158, and compartment 166should be used only for a single type of fluent cargo), marking meanssuch as text and color indicators are provided on a portion of the port114 or vessel structure 122 to indicate to a user which materials shouldor should not be associated with a port 114. Those of skill in the artwill recognize that the present invention is not limited to any number,sizes, or types of internal compartments 166. Indeed, the presentinvention contemplates the use of a single internal volume within atowed vessel as well as numerous compartments 166.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a towed vessel furthercomprises mooring devices or means for attaching to mooring devices. Forexample, a towed vessel 110 includes fasteners, rigid members, and/orconnecting devices to allow for a towed vessel 110 to be moored.Devices, and rigid members which may be connected to various portions ofa mooring device include those disclosed in U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2004/0157513 to Dyhrberg and U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,375 toDavis et al., which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentireties, and other similar known mooring devices. Including mooringdevices as part of a towed vessel 10 or, alternatively, providing meansto attach a towed vessel 110 to various mooring devices allows for theability to fill or empty devices of the present invention in a number oflocations or orientations, store the device 110 in a docked or off-shorelocation, and generally stabilize the structure 110 when transport isnot desired.

Referring now to FIG. 11, one embodiment of the present invention isshown for storing a towed vessel 110 in a marine environment in asubstantially vertical position with respect to a water line 130. In oneembodiment, the present invention is capable of carrying up to 1,000,000m³ of bulk water. Accordingly, those of skill in the art will recognizethat such an object, particularly when oriented in a generallyhorizontal position, will occupy a significant surface area. Therefore,one embodiment of the present invention contemplates devices and methodsfor storing a towed vessel 110 in a generally vertical position withrespect to a water line 130. A first portion 170 of a towed device isinflated or similarly experiences an increase in buoyancy while anadditional portion 174, preferably disposed at the distal longitudinalend, is filled with water or similarly experiences a decrease inbuoyancy/density. In this manner, the device 110 may be allowed to floaton-end and occupy substantially less volume than it would if docked orallowed to remain horizontal. In one embodiment, the contents andassociated buoyancy of compartments 170, 174 are varied and/orcontrolled by one or more one-way or two-way valves 114. For example,compartment 174 may be filled with water via the control of valve 114.The volume of water taken in by valve 114 is then allowed to cool due toits position in a deeper portion of a body of water which is known togenerally be colder than areas disposed closer to the surface 130. Inone embodiment, valve 114 comprises a two-way valve capable ofdispelling water from a compartment 174 and facilitating therepositioning of the device 110 to a surfaced position.

In an alternative embodiment, a towed vessel 110 may be stored in agenerally vertical position either when it is an emptied or full state.Such a device is capable of being attached to various fixed and/orfloating objects (e.g. mooring devices) via reinforcing member 118,while a distal end of the device 110 is allowed to sink. In oneembodiment, the distal end is allowed to sink by decreasing the buoyancyof a portion 174 of the vessel through the addition of water, sand,ballast, etc., which is further capable of being expelled from thedevice via two-way valve 114 in order to restore the vessel 110 to agenerally horizontal position.

Referring now to FIGS. 12-13, a towed vessel 110 and associated storagemeans are depicted. When a vessel 110 is to be stored, a reinforcingmember 118 may be attached to a securing device, such as a mooring buoy194 and associated anchor line/chain 198 which may be securely fixed toa floor 102 of a marine environment. Additionally, a second end may besecured to a translatable device 178 positioned on a fixed member 182.Thus, in one embodiment, the vessel 110 resides at the surface 130 of abody of water in a substantially immobile position when the translatabledevice 178 is located at or near a surface position 186. Towed vessels110 of the present invention may be selectively positioned in asubstantially vertical position by translating the translatable device178 along a vertical length of the fixed member 182 so that thetranslatable device 178 and second end of the vessel 110 is disposed ina submerged position 190. One of skill in the art will recognize thatmooring devices 194, 198 of the present invention, although generallyfixed, may be free to translate within a given radius. Thus, when oneend of a vessel 110 is submerged, an end attached to a mooring buoy 194may reposition itself to a location proximal to the fixed member 182,thus allowing the vessel 110 to reside in a substantially verticalposition for storage. The vertical positioning of vessels 110 of thepresent invention may be facilitated by the inclusion of a portion 170of the vessel 110 which retains a sufficient amount of buoyancy so as toprevent the entire vessel 110 from sinking. Alternatively, mooring buoys194 of the present invention may comprise sufficient buoyancy to supporta load applied by a partially submerged vessel 110.

Vertical positioning devices 182 of the present invention may comprisevarious known devices useful in the linear translation of objects. Forexample, worm gears adapted for use in translating associated nuts,pulley systems, hydraulic jack or elevator devices, rail actuators, andvarious other known devices useful for translating a device 178 betweena raised 186 and lowered 190 position may be incorporated intoembodiments of the present invention.

It will be recognized that various different liquids and gases may becontained and transported within embodiments of the present invention.Accordingly the present invention is not limited to the transport ofwater, wine, or human potable substances.

In various embodiments, the present invention generally relates tosystems and methods for distributing water. More specifically, thepresent invention is based on the realization by the inventors thatwater derived from inland ice, and methods of trading such water,provide benefits not obtainable from present water sources of tradingmethods. In particular, the present invention provides an on-demandmethod for obtaining water having characteristics desirable to aspecific customer.

One method of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 14. Theillustrated method can generally be practiced by:

(a) connecting a first entity (E1) desiring to obtain water having atleast one specific characteristic with a second entity (E2) havingpossession of a source of water comprising the at least one specificcharacteristic;

(b) conveying from the first entity to the second entity informationrelating to the quantity and characteristic of the desired water;

(c) based on the information conveyed, transferring title to a quantityof water having the desired specific characteristic that the secondentity is willing to transfer, from the second entity to the firstentity, wherein the second entity receives compensation in an amountrelated to the quantity of water covered by the transferred title.

According to the present invention, the entities involved in the claimedmethod can be individuals or groups of individuals such as corporations,partnerships, agencies, non-profit agencies, and the like, orcombinations thereof. Moreover it should be noted that the compositionof one entity of the claimed method is independent of the composition ofthe other entity. That is, for example, the first entity may be anindividual while the second entity may be a company. Any suchcombination is contemplated. It is also contemplated that the roleperformed by the two entities of the claimed be conducted by the sameentity, as certain advantages of such an arrangement could result.

As used herein, the terms connecting, connect, linking, link, and thelike mean that the two entities interact in such a way as to allow atwo-way transfer of information. Any means of connection that allowscommunication between the entities can be used to practice the presentinvention. In one embodiment, the connection is formed using anelectronic device. Any electronic device is suitable so long as itallows communication between the entities. Examples of useful electronicdevices include, but are not limited to, data transmission devices,telephones, cellular phones, facsimile machines, and computers.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the two entities connectthrough an exchange. As used herein, an exchange is a collective,institution, organization, or association which hosts a market wherestocks, bonds, options and futures, commodities, and the like, aretraded. Buyers and sellers come together in the exchange to trade. Inthe present invention, an exchange is envisioned as trading water orrights therein, although the trade of other stocks, bonds, options andfutures, commodities and the like, may also occur within the sameexchange. Such an exchange can be located at one or more physicallocations that may or may not be connected by means of communication,such as telephone or data transmission lines. In addition, suchexchanges can lack a physical location, such as a building, and existsolely on a network such as a computer network. It should also beunderstood that an exchange may refer to an existing exchange (e.g., TheNew York Stock Exchange, The Chicago Mercantile Exchange, etc.), or itmay refer to an entirely new exchange.

With regard to the present invention, water refers to water having oneor more characteristic that renders it desirable to a consumingpopulation. In one embodiment, the characteristic possessed by the waterhas high degree of purity. A high degree of purity refers to water thatis substantially free of harmful contaminants. A contaminant is anysubstance in the water deemed undesirable by the purchaser of the water.Examples of contaminants include, but are not limited to, heavy metals,including transition metals, metalloids, lanthanoids, and actinides(e.g. Mercury, Lead, Chromium, etc.), uranium, arsenic, chlorine,trihalomethanes (THM's), uranium, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls),nitrate, nitrite, pesticides, herbicides, volatile organic compounds,carbon emissions from coal and petroleum fired power plants, and harmfulmicroorganisms such as coliform bacteria, giardia, and cryptosporidium.While it will be recognized that certain contaminants may be more orless harmful to different individuals, substantially free of harmfulcontaminants means that the source contains such a low level ofcontaminants as to not cause illness or harm to an adult human when upto 64 fluid ounces are consumed on a daily basis. Methods of determiningand quantifying purity are known in the art. For example, contaminantscan be measured in parts per million (ppm). In one embodiment,contaminants are present in the water at a level of no more than 1000ppm, 500 ppm, 250 ppm, 100 ppm, 75 ppm, 50 ppm, 25 ppm, 10 ppm, 5 ppm,2.5 ppm, or 1 ppm. Such levels can also be expressed in terms ofpercentages. For example, 1 ppm is equal to 0.0001% on a volume pervolume or weight per volume basis. In one embodiment, contaminants arepresent in the water at a level of no more than 0.1%, 0.05%, 0.025%,0.01%, 0.0075%, 0.005%, 0.0025%, 0.001%, 0.0005%, 0.00025%, or 0.0001%.Methods of measuring such levels of contamination are known to thoseskilled in the art.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the high level of purity isthe result of natural processes such as, for example, filtration throughsoil. By selecting a water source of sufficient initial purity, naturaland organic filtering can be applied to produce high quality potablewater without the use of sterilization chemicals or energy intensivefiltration means. It is known that soil acts as a natural filter ofwater. In addition to the mechanical capturing of solid particles, theterm filtering in this context also involves retaining chemicals,transforming chemicals, and restricting the movement of certainsubstances. These acts of filtering are often known as soil attenuation.Soil attenuation includes the ability to immobilize metals and removebacteria that may be carried into the water through such means as humanor mammalian waste. It is further known that fine textured soils, suchas clay, provide superior filtration of water when compared to largegrained or coarse soils such as sand. Water travels through coarse soilsmore rapidly, thereby reducing contact between the water and soil andthus reducing filtration or attenuation. Permeability is a typicalmeasure of a soil's ability to transmit water and other fluids. Clay isknown to have a relatively low permeability as a result of its smallgrain size and large surface area, causing increased friction betweenwater transmitting through the clay. Clay may have a permeability, orhydraulic conductivity, as low as 10⁻⁹ centimeters per second whereaswell sorted sands and gravels typically have a permeability of 10⁻³ to 1centimeter per second.

In one embodiment, the characteristic possessed by the water is that itis from a specified time period. The ability to trade water frompreviously frozen ice that is over hundreds, if not thousands, if notmillions of years old, by its nature constitutes a new process andproduct. Furthermore the ability to date these layers of frozen ice andgenerally correspond it to a given time era is advantageous in thatdifferent properties of water corresponding to different layers mayexist. Such properties can be used as the basis for satisfying differentconsumer markets. While it is acknowledged that ice has been melted toderive water in the past, it has not been accomplished under conditionsthat preserve the pristine aspects of such water and categorize thoseaspects according to their date. While the present invention is notlimited to any particular region, ice caps and glacial ice south of 15degrees latitude are well suited for the claimed method.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the ice from aglacier and/or ice sheet can be cut, drilled, and/or divided intovarious segments. The cutting, drilling, and/or division of the segmentscan separate the ice into either vertically or horizontally separatedsegments. The segments can then be further divided by date into othersegments. These dated segments are then processed under strict hygienicconditions such that the properties of the water are maintained and notpolluted. In a preferred embodiment, the processing of the ice isperformed under an increased atmospheric pressure and where staff mustbe present during the operations. The staff should wear special clothingadapted to the purpose of maintaining the hygienic properties of thewater. Preferably the cutting, drilling, and/or tapping and subsequentpackaging of the ice are performed in accordance with FDA current goodmanufacturing practice for processing and bottling of bottled drinkingwater, 21 CFR 129.

The ice can be drilled from the top or may be extracted from theterminus of the glacier such that the layers are taken out directlywithout an intermediate step as required by the vertical recovery of theice. Furthermore, various layers of the ice can be tapped and pumped inan effort to recover the water contained therein. It is one aspect ofthe present invention to provide a method of processing ice from aglacier or ice sheet. The ice is extracted from the reservoir, i.e.,glacier or ice sheet. The ice is then segmented and categorized by date.Thereafter, each segmented section of ice is processed separately underhygienic conditions such that the pristine aspects of the water aremaintained. The water is then packaged separately and labeled accordingto the date from which the ice existed. For example, renaissance waterthat came from the early 1400 AD era is bottled separate from water thatexisted at the time of Christ or around 0 BC. The water may be portionedinto any desired amounts (e.g., consumable units, bulk quantities,etc.). Consumable units are generally portion sizes acquired by anindividual consumer. In one embodiment, the water is portioned intoabout one-half liter to one liter volumes, due to the categorization ofthe ice and subsequent processing of the ice into water comprisingdifferent properties from one batch to the next. Such water can then betraded based on the uniqueness of its properties. The inventive processmerits a higher selling price of water than simply cutting up ice from aglacier and melting it. Consumers may be willing to pay a premium forwater that traces its roots back to the same time that Leonardo da Vincilived, for example. Therefore, reasonable sizing of the sellable unitswould be desired based on the attractiveness of the process provided bythe present invention.

Alternatively, water from a particular era or containing certainproperties could be sold in bulk quantities. Particularly, breweries ordistilleries that have a long historic tradition could purchase largebatches of dated water. They could then use water that dates back totheir original product in order to recreate the original beverage thatthey used to produce. Many breweries and the like pride themselves onnot changing certain recipes over the course of many years. Somebreweries and distilleries have been creating the same product for overa hundred years. These companies would be able to purchase water thatexisted during the days of their founders and could create, market, andsell the “original” product to consumers with literally no changes fromthe true original. Consumers would be willing to pay a premium for atruly original pint of Guinness® or a bottle of Lagavulin scotch madefrom water dating back to 1816.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a system forcategorizing, extracting, processing and packaging water into differenthistorically categorized groups. In accordance with one embodiment, arecovery station is set on or near an ice source (e.g., glacier, icesheet, ice cap, and the like). Also included is a recovery member thatis operable to transmit ice from the ice source to the recovery station.In the recovery station, the ice can then be separated and categorizedaccording to date and processed according to the methods describedabove.

A further aspect of the present invention provides a method forproducing bottled water from glacial ice having a predetermined age. Themethod includes analyzing the age of a number of layers of glacial icewithin an ice source. Then a first layer, whose age is known, isextracted in either a solid or liquid state. The first layer isextracted such that other layers remain substantially undisturbed. Thisallows the first layer to be substantially separated from the otherlayers of glacial ice, thereby isolating the characteristics of thewater within the first layer. After the water has been extracted it iscollected and directed into a container (e.g., a bottle, bag, or thelike.) Once the water from the first layer has been effectively bottledor contained, an indication in the form of a tag or label is place on oraround the bottle/container to reflect the characteristics of the waterthat is within the bottle/container.

Still a further aspect of the present invention provides for a way ofrecovering and preparing dated water in an economically viable fashion.In one embodiment, a number of containers are separated and filled withwater (either from the ice source itself or from another source) in afrozen or liquid state. Water from various segments of the ice sourceare then extracted from the ice source and then placed into differentcontainers. Essentially, a majority of the water in each container doesnot need to be extracted according to the costly process describedherein. However, a non-trivial amount of categorized water is also ineach container such that consumers can be assured that the water theyare drinking is at least partially derived from a particular time periodand thus has the unique characteristics of water from that time period.The primary water that is used (i.e., the non-categorized water) shouldbe held to the highest purity standards so that when the categorizedwater is added, the unique characteristics of that water are not lost ordisrupted.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the characteristic possessedby the water is the presence of extraterrestrial-derived components.Such components include, but are not limited to, molecules such as aminoacids and other organic molecule, that are derived from comets,asteroids, and the like. One example of such a component is glycine, abasic component of proteins. While the details of the potential healthbenefits of such components have yet to be evaluated, there exists aviable market for unadulterated drinking water which could reasonably becalculated to contain glycine and primordial building blocks of life. Inaddition to the commercially appealing aspects of consuming the originsof life itself, glycine is known to produce a sweet taste for humans.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the water is sequestered ina form suitable for long term storage that does not affect the uniquecharacteristics of the water. In one embodiment, the water issequestered as ice. In a particular embodiment, the water is sequesteredas glacial ice. In yet another embodiment, the water is sequestered in apolar ice cap. Various combinations of such sequestration means are alsoincluded in the present invention.

In one aspect of the present invention, information regarding, at least,the desired quantity and characteristic of the water being traded, isconveyed between the two entities. Such conveyance refers to thetransfer of information using means disclosed herein. The conveyance ofsuch information can also be referred to, for example, as an order or apurchase order. Such orders will contain, at least, the quantity ofwater desired by the buyer, or the characteristic desired by the buyer.With regard to quantity, also referred to as a tradable unit, the watercan be portioned into any suitable volume. For example, the water may beportioned into the previously mentioned consumable units, or it may betraded in bulk quantities. Examples of useful tradable units included,but are not limited to, about 1 liter units, about 5 liter units, about10 liter units, about 50 liter units, about 100 liter units, about 500liter units, about 1000 liter units, about 5000 liter units, about10,000 liter units, about 50,000 liter units, about 100,000 liter units,500,000 liter units or 1,000,000 liter units. Larger volumes are alsoenvisioned. It should also be appreciated that tradable units can be involumes using other systems of measurement. For example, such volumescan be measured in gallons, tons, or metric tons.

Orders can also contain information about the characteristic of thewater desired by the buyer. Such characteristics have been disclosedherein. However, it should be appreciated that the water being tradedcan have more than one of the disclosed characteristics. Furthermore, inaddition to the characteristics disclosed herein, the water can haveother characteristics not mentioned herein. It will be understood bythose in the field that orders can contain information relating totopics other than quantity and characteristics of the water beingtraded. For example, an order may contain information relating to thedate of transfer of title of the water, the date of transfer of physicalpossession of the water, the location of shipment, compensation to bereceived by the second entity, etc.

It should also be understood that conveyance of information between thetwo entities may involve back and forth information exchange before theentities reach an agreement on the quantity and/or characteristic of thewater being traded. Such back and forth information exchange may beneeded simply for clarification of terms, conditions, and the like, orit may involve haggling, negotiating, discussion, and the like.

Once the entities have agreed on the specifics of the trade (e.g.,quantity, characteristics, etc.), title to a volume of water having thecharacteristics recited in the order is transferred to the buyer. Suchtransfer can involve physical or electronic recordation and/or transferof title documents. Title is used under its commonly understood legalmeaning, as are ownership and possession. That is, title refers to thesum total of legally recognized rights to the possession and ownershipof property (e.g., water) that can be secured and enjoyed under the law.It should be understood that title can, but does not necessarily imply,rights in ownership or possession. The determination of such rights canbe part of the information exchanged between the entities.

Once title has been transferred, the buyer may or may not take physicalpossession of the water. Physical transfer of the water can occurimmediately, at a later time, or it may never occur. It is one aspect ofthe present invention that transfer of the title to the buyer does notnecessarily indicate the buyer is the final consumer. Instead, title inthe water can give the buyer the right to further transfer the title toanother entity. In this aspect, transfer of the title to the buyer canbe viewed as an option to take possession of the water.

As previously described, prior to trading, the water can be sequestered,for example as ice. This aspect of the present invention is verybeneficial in that the water can be kept sequestered until such time asthe buyer, or other party to whom title has been transferred, requestspossession of the water. Thus, if the buyer takes title but decides todelay possession, the water can remain sequestered until the buyer, orother party holding title, requests possession. Alternatively, the buyermay request possession upon transfer of title, with the understanding ofthe practical, physical limitations involved. Nonetheless, once theentity holding title decides to take possession of the water, the sellercan then go to the water source, remove the quantity of water beingtransferred to the title-holding entity, and transfer such volumethereto. In an embodiment where the water is sequestered as ice, theseller can remove sufficient ice, from a region of the glacier or icecap comprising ice having the agreed upon characteristics, such that,upon melting the volume of water produced is at least the volume beingtransferred. This melted ice is then transferred to the title-holdingentity.

In one embodiment, transfer of title also carries transfer of ownershipof the water. Details regarding all rights transferred with the titlecan be determined during interaction of the buyer and seller.

It is an aspect of the claimed method that the seller receivescompensation for transferring the water. Such compensation can betransferred to the seller at any time. In one embodiment, the sellerreceives the agreed upon compensation prior to transfer of title. In oneembodiment, the seller receives the agreed upon compensationsimultaneous with transfer of title. In another embodiment, the sellerreceives the agreed upon compensation after transfer of title.Compensation can be transferred directly from the buyer to the seller,or it can involve additional entities. For example, the seller maytransfer title, ownership, and/or possession of water to the buyer, butreceive compensation from a third entity not involved with title,possession or ownership of the water (e.g., a bank or parentcorporation). Similarly, the amount of compensation can be decided uponbetween the seller, the buyer, additional entities, or combinationsthereof. Further, decisions on the timing of compensation may or may notbe part of the order.

Compensation to the seller is an amount agreed upon between the buyerand seller. However, various tools can be used to help determine such anamount. For example, since water in various forms is sold worldwide on adaily basis, a large volume of information exists regarding the price ofwater. Further, such data can be linked with other characteristics(metadata) (e.g., geographic region) allowing the sorting of the priceof water by such characteristics such as, for example, geography,intended use, time or date of purchase., etc. Such data is very usefulin determining compensation. Thus, in one embodiment of the presentinvention, compensation is determined using average price data for waterobtained from current water markets. In using such data, the sellerobtains the selling price of water from a variety of different markets.In a preferred embodiment, the seller uses metadata to obtain theselling price of for water having characteristics related in somemeaningful way (e.g., intended use, geographic location of use) to atleast one characteristic of the water being transferred.

Once the title-holding entity requests physical possession of the water,transport of the water can be made using any means suitable fortransporting the water without affecting the quantity and/orcharacteristics thereof. Examples of water transport devices include,but are not limited to, trucks, planes, ships, pipes, aqueducts, andbags. A particular suitable transport device is a large water bag. Suchbags are made of a suitable material, such as plastic, rubber, nylon, orcombinations thereof, and can vary in size depending on the amount ofwater being transported. Such bags have the advantage of not alteringthe quantity or characteristic of the water contained therein. Totransfer water using such devices, the bags are filled with the water tobe transported, sealed and then transferred to the final destination.Any method of moving such bags can be employed. A particularly usefulmethod is to tow such bags through the ocean using ships, barges,tankers, and the like. In one embodiment, unmanned, GPS-guided, boatstow the bags. Such a transport mechanism would reduce the costassociated with a crew.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the ice itself can betransported to an agreed upon location. In such embodiment, ice in therequired volume and having the desired characteristics, would be removedfrom the glacier or ice cap, and transported directly to the agreed uponlocation. Transport of such ice could be achieved in several ways. Forexample, the ice could be allowed to melt during transport such thatupon arrival, it is in a liquid form and ready for consumption.Alternatively, the ice could be kept frozen such that it arrives at itsfinal destination in its original form. Such transportation can beachieved using technology known to those in the refrigeration arts.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the water is transported toa different geographical location than where it is sequestered, withoutaffecting the characteristics of the water. In one embodiment, the wateris transported at least 10 miles, at least 250 miles, at least 500miles, at least 1000 miles, or at least 10,000 miles, from the locationwhere it is sequestered. Such distances can also be measured usingkilometers, nautical miles, and the like.

FIG. 16 depicts one embodiment of the present invention wherein a LNGtanker 1102 is utilized to transport LNG from a country, region, or port1100 rich in such resources to a region having a demand for LNG 1104. Inone embodiment, the region having demand for LNG 1104 also comprises asupply of fresh water or similar liquid having value. In variousembodiments, such a liquid is transported from the region 1104 back tothe LNG origin 1100 or to various other destinations by utilizingfeatures, volumes, and functionality in a vessel that previouslyconveyed water 1102 from the LNG-rich region 1100. Thus, in oneembodiment, shipping vessels are utilized to convey two or moreresources from one location 1100 to another 1104 in a generally cyclicalmanner, increasing efficiency of the overall transportation method.

One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that water or similarliquids need not be conveyed directly back to a vessel's origin. Indeed,in various embodiments, a vessel 1102 used to convey LNG or similarproduct to a region 1104 may be supplied with a quantity of water oranother cargo and thereafter transported to another destination (notshown). In various embodiments, the water-rich region 1104 is not thesame region having a demand for LNG or similar products. Accordingly,LNG may be conveyed from a source or origin 1100 to a port or locationin need of the same (not shown). The LNG tanker may then be routed to awater-rich region 1104 for acquisition of water or similar and directedto various locations in need of the same.

One of skill in the art will recognize that the regions of the worldwhich are generally endowed with large LNG supplies have a similardearth of water supplies. Accordingly, various embodiments of thepresent invention contemplate utilizing LNG shipping technology toprovide water upon return voyage. However, as will be recognized,various trade routes, diversions, off-shoots, etc. are contemplatedherein. According to various embodiments, water and LNG are transportedto and from any number of ports or locations, with shipping efficiencyprovided by the ability to utilize existing tankers and/or equipment fora variety of different liquid cargoes.

FIG. 17 depicts various trade and supply routes of LNG. It will berecognized that a number of locations depicted have substantial need forwater and will continue to experience such need as demand grows.Furthermore, many of these water-depleted regions currently export orhave the potential to export LNG and other supplies via large tankers orships. Given the finite number of LNG tankers and similar vessels inoperation, these vessels will obviously need to return to a point oforigin at some time in their career. Various embodiments contemplatereturning these vessels with quantities of water suitable for drinking,agriculture, sanitation, and/or various other purposes. As used herein,the term “fresh” with respect to water need not necessarily meanpotable. Rather, it will be recognized that “fresh” is merely a term forthe alternative to salt water.

FIG. 18 is a top plan view of a shipping container 1200 with one or moreinternal storage volumes 1202. In various embodiments, internal storagevolumes 1202 are adapted to house large volumes of LNG in a first stateand accommodate large volumes of water or various other liquids in asecond state. In one embodiment, one or more drop-in liners 1204 areprovided after LNG is emptied from portions 1202 of a vessel 1200, theliner(s) being adapted to receive volumes of water or liquid. Theliner(s) prevent or mitigate the risk of cross-contamination between thewater and previously stored LNG. In various embodiments, portions 1202of a LNG tanker are segregated by barriers 1206. Barriers 1206 allow forseparation of various liquid cargoes. Accordingly, in variousembodiments, tankers of the present invention may comprise or transportvarious combinations of liquid cargoes based on user preference. As oneof skill in the art will recognize, an entire shipment of LNG need notbe offloaded in order to transport different cargo. For example, two offour compartments comprising LNG may be offloaded at a particular port,the emptied two compartments re-filled with a volume of water, and thevessel may be conveyed to an additional port carrying a combination ofLNG and water (or similar). Accordingly, in various embodiments, adynamic shipping method is provided which may comprise differentquantities and types of liquids based on shipping routes, economicconditions, and various other factors.

In one embodiment, internal surfaces 1208 of portions 1202 may be coatedwith various materials to prevent or minimize risk ofcross-contamination. For example, various spray-coatings may be appliedonce a quantity of LNG is emptied from a portion 1202 of the vessel tocreate a virgin surface for the holding and contacting with water orsimilar fluid cargoes. By way of example, industrial water-proofcoatings provided by the Procachem Corporation may be provided to coat,cover, or seal a surface that was exposed to or in contact with LNG soas to render the surface capable of accommodating water withoutsignificant risk of cross-contamination.

In one embodiment, one or more tank cleaning apparatus are employed tocleanse the inside of a container or tank that housed LNG. For example,various features as shown and described in U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2009/0308412 to Dixon, which is incorporated byreference herein, may be employed to prepare various LNG shippingtankers and containers for the transport of cargo other than LNG.

One of skill in the art will recognize that various methods and devicesof the present invention are not limited to LNG shipping tanks ortankers. Indeed, various methods, features, and systems as describedherein may be utilized with a variety of shipping containers andvessels, including, but not limited to, war-ships, recreational vessels,cargo-ships, etc.

The foregoing discussion of the invention has been presented forpurposes of illustration and description. Further the description is notintended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein.Consequently, variations and modifications commensurate with the aboveteachings, within the skill or knowledge of the relevant art, are withinthe scope of the present invention. The embodiments described above arefurther intended to explain the best mode presently known of practicingthe invention and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize theinvention in other embodiments and with various modifications requiredby their particular application or use of the invention. It is intendedthat the appended claims be construed to include alternative embodimentsto the extent permitted by the prior art. It will be recognized that thesteps described herein may be conducted in a variety of sequenceswithout violating the novelty or spirit of the present invention. In oneparticular embodiment, the present invention is conducted by adhering toa sequence of first selecting a water source substantially free ofharmful contaminants, including heavy metals, PCBs, and pesticides,subsequently constructing one or more filters at a point of lowergravitational potential energy than the source, subsequently identifyingsignature characteristics of the filtered water, and finally packagingthe water for distribution.

What claimed is:
 1. A method of shipping water comprising: a firstlocation; a second location; and a shipping vessel, wherein: said firstlocation comprises substantial quantities of natural gas; said secondlocation comprises substantial quantities of water; said shipping vesselis provided with cargo comprising natural gas at said first location andtransported to said second location; said shipping vessel is at leastpartially emptied of said cargo comprising natural gas and modified suchthat said vessel is adapted for transporting water as its cargo withoutsubjecting the water to natural gas; providing said vessel with cargocomprising water at said second location; wherein said shipping vesselis transported from said second location to said first location; whereinsaid step of providing said shipping vessel with cargo comprising waterincludes the transfer of water from a bladder containing fresh water,said bladder comprising a hollow, flexible bag, and wherein said wateris obtained from a melted glacial ice source, wherein the glacial ice iscut, drilled and/or divided into various segments to obtain said water.2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified shipping vessel includesone or more bladders adapted for containing fresh, potable water byentirely encompassing the water in a flexible bag that isolates saidwater; the water is sequestered in a form suitable for long term storagethat does not affect the unique characteristics of the water.
 3. Amethod of shipping water comprising: providing a shipping vessel,wherein said shipping vessel comprises one or more shipping containers;providing said one or more shipping containers on said shipping vesselwith a first cargo at a first location, said first location includingfacilities adapted to convey at least one of oil and natural gas, saidfirst cargo comprising said at least one of oil and natural gas;transporting said shipping vessel to a second location, said secondlocation having a source of at least one of fresh water and ice;emptying said one or more shipping containers of said first cargo;modifying said shipping vessel such that said shipping vessel is adaptedfor transporting as its primary cargo at least one of fresh water andice without contacting said at least one of fresh water and ice withnatural gas, said at least one of fresh water and ice being enclosedwithin a hollow, flexible bag; providing said one or more shippingcontainers on said shipping vessel with a second cargo at said secondlocation, wherein said second cargo comprises said at least one of freshwater and ice; transporting said shipping vessel from said secondlocation to said first location; wherein the step of providing saidshipping containers with said second cargo comprises transferring waterfrom a hollow, flexible bladder containing fresh water; and said secondcargo including at least water obtained from a glacial melt watersource, wherein the glacial ice water source is cut, drilled and/ordivided into various segments to obtain said water.
 4. The method ofclaim 3, further comprising providing a towable vessel selected from thegroup consisting of a flexible barge, a non-rigid barge, a bladder, aseries of flexible fabric barges connected together in a string, and anon-rigid, water-impermeable device with an elongate shape.
 5. Themethod of claim 4, wherein said towable vessel comprises photovoltaicarrays adapted for converting solar energy into forms of energy whichmay be used throughout at least one of said shipping vessel and saidtowable vessel.
 6. The method of claim 3, further comprising filteringsaid fresh water after said transporting step.
 7. The method of claim 6,wherein said filtering comprises filtration upon exit of said freshwater from said shipping container.
 8. The method of claim 3, furthercomprising emptying said shipping containers of said second cargo. 9.The method of claim 8, wherein said emptying of said shipping containersof said second cargo is at said first location.
 10. The method of claim3, wherein said shipping container comprises at least one of a tank, ahull, a compartment, and a bladder.
 11. The method of claim 3, whereinmodifying said shipping vessel comprises providing one or more bladderswithin a portion of said shipping vessel that previously contained saidat least one of oil and natural gas.
 12. The method of claim 3, whereinthe modified shipping vessel includes one or more bladders adapted forcontaining said at least one of fresh water and ice.
 13. The method ofclaim 3, wherein modifying said shipping vessel comprises providing oneor more bladders within said one or more shipping containers.
 14. Themethod of claim 3, further comprising transporting said shipping vesselto a third location and emptying said shipping containers of said firstcargo at said third location before transporting said shipping vessel tosaid second location.